Burning Love
by Spunky0ne
Summary: After the quincy war, enemy turned ally, Bazz-B awaits trial by Central 46 to decide his fate. While he waits, a certain red haired VC brings him tea and snacks, as well as company to ease his boredom. What will happen when passions begin to burn between the two?...Yaoi/mpreg.
1. Red

**Burning Love**

**By Spunky0ne**

**(LOL, this really did start out as a oneshot. It was just a oneshot, right? I can write a oneshot, really! It's only that so many readers asked for more, so now it's more. A little _not a oneshot anymore _to honor the VERY UNBELIEVABLY SEXY AND NOW (spoilers) HELPING THE SHINIGAMIS BAZZ-B! Whew! *wipes brow* As soon as I saw that luscious pic of battered but proud Bazz-B, I had to honor him with his own little burning love story...with Renji, of course. I loved when Renji said "You mean, you really think my eyebrows...are cool?!" Yeah, this just had to happen. I was waiting for the right time and it's time. Here ya' go, you Bazz-B/Renji shippers. These two are getting busy! An even hotter MA version of this is now on AO3! Cheers, Spunky)**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Chapter 1: Red**

"Renji," Byakuya said quietly, looking up from where he sat at his desk in the newly rebuilt sixth division headquarters.

"Sir?" the redhead queried, looking up from the stack of papers he was reading.

"I'll be leaving in a moment for the captain's meeting," the noble informed him, "While I am gone, you need to mind the prisoner."

Renji felt an unexpected flutter of guilt for a moment, and to his surprise, his normally serene, removed superior seemed to notice.

"Renji," Byakuya said, even more quietly, "I understand your mixed feelings. However, we were given orders to hold the surviving quincies in our custody while Central 46 is rebuilt to accommodate the after-war trials. The remaining quincies who helped us will be given the chance to earn their freedom, and certainly those who played a part in our victory will earn the new council's lenience."

"You think so?" Renji said, frowning, "Captain, you know that, prior to the war, those guys weren't so fair in all of their decisions. You've said it a few times, yourself, that they tend to let their politics interfere with the fair practice of our laws."

Byakuya sighed.

"I did say that, and it was a correct assessment, however, I am hopeful that the lessons of the quincy war will inspire our new leadership to reconsider their choices."

"Yeah, I hope that happens too," Renji agreed, glancing into the hallway that led to where the quincy waited in his cell, "Bazz-B and the others really got screwed by their leader, and they did come down on our side once they realized their leader didn't give a shit about them."

Byakuya blinked in surprise at the weight in his subordinate's troubled expression.

"Are you all right, Abarai?" he asked in a concerned tone.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine," Renji lied, sighing and turning back to the papers in front of him.

He placed his chin on his hand and tried to read, but the heavy feeling in his chest and belly made him read without comprehension. And as distracted as he was, he didn't feel Byakuya's approach until the noble was right in front of his desk. It was finally the little breath of sakura that touched his senses and made him look up into his captain's dark grey eyes. To his surprise, Renji found only concern and sympathy in their clear, calm depths.

"Captain?" the redhead said, swallowing hard.

Byakuya observed him silently for a moment before continuing.

"I think I understand what is bothering you," the noble said, holding Renji's gaze steadily, "You were born in the lower Rukongai, as my wife and her sister were. You had to struggle just to survive, and you fought your way into the place you now hold at my side."

"Y-yeah," Renji said in a mystified tone, "What does that...?"

"And even once you left the Rukogai and entered the shinigami academy, you quickly realized that the noble children at the academy weren't going to let you forget they were above you. Isn't that right?" Byakuya inquired.

Renji was speechless for a moment.

"Uh...yeah," he confessed, "To be honest, a lot of the noble kids were spoiled brats, who never had to struggle to get into the academy or to do anything else really. Sorry...I..."

"You speak the truth," Byakuya said calmly, "The situation was unfair. You dedicated your efforts to going to that place so that you could be a part of the society here, but those 'noble brats' made you feel that not even being strong was enough to make you accepted."

"Eh...sir, I don't..."

"It's fine," Byakuya assured him, "You have every reason to look at the noble class with some amount of anger and mistrust."

Renji looked back at him wordlessly.

"Are you surprised?" Byakuya asked.

Renji considered the question carefully, then shook his head and smiled.

"No, not really. You saying something like that makes sense. You aren't like that, so when the 'noble brats' act like that, I can see it bothers you too, sir."

"Then...there are exceptions, ne?"

"Yeah," Renji agreed, nodding, "And I just hope that the new council is made up of exceptions who think like you do."

The edges of Byakuya's lips curved upward slightly. He started to speak, but paused and genuinely smiled as the door opened to admit his lovely, blue-eyed cousin. Renji's eyes softened and his heart flickered in his chest at seeing his usually reserved superior treat someone with such open affection.

"Tetsuya."

_It's even in the way he says the guy's name. He really loves Tetsuya and he's glad that his cousin's actions in the war, protecting the family, finally earned him the place he deserves._

"Byakuya."

It was strange hearing his friend address his leader so informally, but that was the privilege that went with being made the Kuchiki leader's future clan wife.

_So, maybe it isn't going to be like it was before. Maybe, at least now, after having to fight elbow to elbow, more of the nobles will look at mixed bloods like Tetsuya, and peasants like Rukia and me with more respect. War sucks, but it does remind us we're on the same side._

He glanced down the hallway again as Byakuya slipped an arm around Tetsuya and fed him an affectionate kiss that left him blushing sweetly.

_But some of us weren't so lucky. Tetsuya was lucky to find that, although the elders looked down on him before, when it really came down to it, they recognized just how much he brought to the clan. Bazz-B and the others who were left behind only learned that they meant nothing to Ywach._

"Arashi is waiting ouside," Tetsuya informed the Kuchiki heir, "Are you ready to go?"

"I am."

Byakuya glanced at Renji and nodded.

"Please take care of things, Abarai. I will be taking the afternoon off to work on wedding arrangements, so I'll see you in the morning."

"Good afternoon, Captain," Renji said in farewell, "See you later, Tetsuya."

"Goodbye, Renji."

The redhead watched as the two exited the headquarters together, then he sighed and started to look back at his work. He stared at the papers sightlessly for a time, hearing Bazz-B's shattered voice as Ywach took back the power he had granted his quincy officers.

_"What the...! What's going on, Bazz-B?" he asked, staring at the light came down and swelled around the reeling quincy._

_"That's what I wanna know!" Bazz-B screamed, "Your majesty...is that how it is then?"_

Renji blinked and felt his heart pounding. The quincy's voice repeated in his mind and he glanced at the hallway again. He looked back at his work, but sighed in defeat.

_I'm not going to be able to concentrate anyway._

He took a shaky breath.

_And Captain Kuchiki's gone for the day. No one's going to be here until morning._

_So...it won't hurt if I just...take the guy some tea. He's gotta be bored, just sitting in there, staring at the walls._

He left his desk and walked down the hallway as far as the kitchen, where he made tea and snacks for the two of them. He set food and drink on the tray and left the kitchen, then walked further down the hallway to the locked cell where the quincy sat on his cot, staring blankly at the wall and looking both bored and deflated.

"What do you want?" he asked in a low voice as Renji paused outside his cell.

"I thought you might be hungry and bored, so I brought some tea and snacks," Renji answered, watching as the quincy stood and stretched.

"That's a lot of food and tea," Bazz-B observed, "You plan on joining me, then? That's a little weird, isn't it? Us being on opposite sides?"

"On opposite sides of what?" Renji mused, "The war's over."

"So, what? Are we all supposed to join hands and sing _Kumbaya_ now?" the quincy asked sarcastically.

"Naw, I don't sing that well."

"I find that hard to believe," Bazz-B objected, "You've got a pretty deep voice. Girls like that. I bet you can sing."

"You have a pretty good voice, yourself," Renji complimented him, opening the door to the cell and stepping inside, "Now, just so you know, if you attack me, I will defend myself, and the alarms'll go off if I'm hurt, summoning the soldiers from the barracks."

"I'm not gonna attack you, Red," Bazz-B said off-handedly, "I know you're not the enemy."

"Is that right?" Renji mused, "That's not what you said before?"

"Eh, before?" Bazz-B repeated, "You mean, when you called me a _chicken head_? You think I've forgotten that, do you?"

"Uh, no," Renji chuckled, "But you know that was just battle talk. It didn't mean anything, and actually, that _majestic mohawk_ of yours is pretty cool."

"You think so?"

"Yeah. But I wasn't going to say that to an enemy."

"Heh, I still won't forgive you for calling me a chicken head, you fool!" Bazz-B said, smirking, "But I have to admit, I really do like those tattoos above your eyebrows, and I could see you have more of them. It made me kinda curious, you know?"

Renji's heart skipped and he set the tray down with a little more force than he meant to, making the tea in the cups slosh a little.

"What? You got a problem with me appreciating something hot like that?" the quincy said, moving closer.

"Hey," Renji said, stepping back and frowning, "Don't try anything, okay? You won't get far, even if you get out."

"I know that," Bazz-B answered, moving closer, "I just really want to see more of those tattoos. Do you have them all over?"

"Y-yeah," Renji affirmed, opening his top, then removing it to reveal the handsome array of bold markings on his neck, shoulders, back and chest, "My zanpakutou puts'em there to _reward_ me for getting stronger."

"Does it hurt when he does it?" Bazz-B asked, gazing curiously and reaching out to touch one of the redhead's tattooed eyebrows.

"Yeah, but usually not as much as the shit I went through to get stronger, so I don't care so much."

Renji flinched and went silent as the quincy's gloved fingers traced a marking on his neck, then a jagged tattoo on Renji's muscular shoulder.

"You work out a lot," the quincy officer commented.

"I'm a vice-captain," Renji explained, "My captain has me out there, busting my ass every day. He's really helped me a lot."

"Huh, that's kinda weird, you know," Bazz-B mused, "You and that noble. Don't nobles usually look down on peasants? Even powerful ones?"

"Yeah, usually," Renji admitted, his mind briefly seeing the lovely mixed blood Tetsuya and how sad he had looked when his own family seemed to think of him as beneath notice, despite his captain level abilities.

_But the war changed that...at least, for now it did. It may go back to the way it was before if we don't do something to keep the camaraderie going. Bonds like that need to be supported constantly._

He realized suddenly that Bazz-B was standing much closer to him and that the quincy had removed one of his gloves.

"What's that? What are you doing?" the redhead demanded, starting to back away.

"Why, are you scared?" Bazz-B asked, looking amused, "I can't escape. And I said you're not an enemy. I don't have a reason to hurt you, Red."

"I-it's Renji," the redhead corrected him.

"Not to me, it's not," Bazz-B teased him, smirking and reaching out his ungloved hand.

Renji watched wordlessly as the other young man's bare finger made contact with one of the markings on his muscular breast, then caressed it gently. He felt a hard jolt in his belly and his mouth went dry as the quincy's fingertip brushed against a proud, dusky nipple.

"A-ah!" he gasped, stepping back, only to be followed by the advancing quincy, "H-hey, what're you d...!"

He froze as he was pressed up against the wall and Bazz-B's defiant mouth clamped down in his. At first, it felt like an attack, but the next moment it turned into the most powerful and beautiful sensation the stunned redhead had ever felt.

_Everything about this guy is really, really hot! His lips feel like they're melting mine! He tastes like fire...DAMN!_

He tried to pull away, but remained paralyzed under the spell of that hard, wanton mouth that bit hungrily at his. He tried to object verbally, but only found his mouth assaulted by a fierce, thrusting tongue that burned as hotly as the rest of him.

_Holy hell! What's this guy doing to me?_

_Is he gonna kill me?_

"It feels dangerous, right?" Bazz-B panted softly, breaking away from Renji's lips for a moment, "It is. Ywach may have taken back the added power he gave me, but inside my body, I still have the natural power I was born with. I could melt your insides before you could scream. You sense that, don't you...and you're still here. Why is that? You think I won't kill you and escape if I have the chance?"

"You could," Renji agreed, "But where would you go? Besides, you said we weren't enemies."

"And you believed me...an enemy?"

"A former enemy. You were also an ally."

"For which I'm being held prisoner, which makes me pissed at you shinigamis."

"At all shinigamis?" Renji asked, "Or just the ones who made the decision?"

"Huh?" Bazz-B said, blinking.

"You seem like someone who's pretty perceptive," Renji explained, "I think you know who it is who is behind your incarceration."

"You saying you don't think like that? You think they should let me go?" Bazz-B asked, "What makes you so sure that I won't just go on a killing spree, hunting shinigamis?"

"I don't think you're like that," Renji said, shaking his head, "We fought alongside each other, at least for a while. I watched you."

Bazz-B reclaimed his trademark smirk.

"You were watching me, Red?"

"It's _Renji_!" the redhead insisted, "and yeah, I was watching you. You're a hard fighter, but you're not a backstabber unless your opponent is too. You're brutal sometimes, but you're honest...even with your enemies."

"That's pretty perceptive, Red."

"Renji!"

"Bazz-B chuckled and sought his lips again, leaving Renji speechless all over with a long, scathing kiss that weakened his knees.

"Any chance you'll let me see more of your tattoos?" the quincy coaxed him, sliding a hand down the redhead's tattooed belly and beneath his hakama.

"O-oh! I don't know if that's a good idea," Renji objected, blushing as red as his hair and squirming as Bazz-B's bare hand found his reactive member.

"Holy shit, Red! That's pretty impressive," the quincy complimented him, "But uh...is _that_ tattooed also?"

"N-no! That asshole wanted to, but I wasn't about to allow it!" Renji snapped furiously.

"Why not? I think it would be hot?" Bazz-B laughed, "You want me to do it?"

"What th'fuck? NO!" Renji yelled, turning even more red, "D-don't...hey, don't do that!"

"Don't do what?" Bazz-B asked pressing up against him and trapping him against the wall as his hand provided sinfully delicious stimulation, "I made you hard. I'm not going to do something like that and not take care of it."

"Uh-ungh!" Renji gasped, unable to hold still as the wonderful caresses and blazing kisses continued, "S-stop it!"

"You really want me to?" the quincy asked in a low voice that excited more dampness in the redhead's nether region, "I will stop if you want me to. After all, I'm not your enemy, right?"

Renji swallowed hard, gazing into Bazz-B's seething eyes and going breathless for a moment.

"What do you say, Red? You wanna taste some lava?"

Renji shuddered as Bazz-B ran his fingers down the redhead's sweating chest, then deprived him of his hakama altogether. He stood, unmoving as Bazz-B slowly undressed, revealing a slim, hardened body and an extremely large and flushed erection.

"You want me to put that in my mouth?" Renji asked, scowling, "How do I know you won't blow my head off?"

"You don't," Bazz-B laughed, "But I don't know you won't bite, right? I guess we have to trust each other...just like we did against Ywach."

"Ywach? Not _his majesty_?"

"Fuck no, not anymore," Bazz-B spat, "He's not my king."

"Mine either," Renji agreed.

"So, we're not enemies."

"No."

Bazz-B's lips found Renji's again and the two shared a barrage of biting kisses as their hands caressed each other. Renji's mouth moved on to suck and nibble at the quincy's soft throat before sliding downward to tease his nipples and moving gradually closer to his alert nether region. Bazz-B watched with deeply aroused eyes as Renji lowered himself to his knees and placed his hands on the quincy's muscular thighs. Bazz-B smirked and yanked the tie out of the redhead's long hair, loosing it to fall around his shoulders in bright crimson waves.

"Damn..." the quincy mused, losing his breath as Renji's mouth began to pleasure him.

He tried to hold still, but he hadn't anticipated how adept the red-haired shinigami would be in stimulating him. His fingers sank into Renji's hair and tightened as he encouraged the heated contact to continue.

"Oh...oh kami, that feels so good!" he panted, moving his hips slightly to intensify the feeling, "Oh...ah! You're really good at this! I think you're a little too good!"

He grabbed the redhead and dragged him onto the cot, pushing him down on his back and glaring into Renji's hazy, desirous eyes.

"_Burner finger number one_," he hissed, making Renji's eyes round.

"What the...!"

"Shh, it's okay," the quincy chuckled as the invoked finger began to prepare the shocked redhead, "It's not at full power. I just did that to intensify things. Take it easy."

Renji found himself unable to answer as extreme warmth flared inside him and flooded his tensed body with lovely, mind-numbing sensations. He groaned as his state of arousal heightened and felt euphoria pass over him as the quincy spoke again.

_"Burner finger number two!_"

Renji howled at the sudden increase in heat and sensation, writhing uncontrollably as the quincy continued his preparations. Nearly overcome, he barely heard the proclamation of the third burner finger and was so enthralled, he couldn't move as Bazz-B ceased his preparations and positioned himself to join their bodies. He moved slowly, carefully holding the redhead at his limits, then he looked into Renji's almost sightless eyes and grinned.

"You know," he breathed into the redhead's ear, "I have ten burner fingers...but...I also have something else that's burning."

Renji stared back at him uncomprehendingly as power throbbed through the quincy's body and sank deeply into Renji's where the two were joined. Their bodies glowed with vicious red light that seethed around them as the two thrust wildly against each other, their open mouths gasping and panting as they kissed and writhed together.

_This is it_, Renji thought as climax approached, _If he's going to kill me, it'll be now. I'll just melt from inside before I feel a thing._

_But hell, it's not the worst way to die, is it?_

His mind went blank and his body seized, surrendering to the blaze of fire that seemed to hit him everywhere at once, sending him into sweet oblivion. He wondered for a moment if he really had died, then his heart throbbed in his chest as he heard Bazz-B's howls of pleasure.

_I didn't know it could be this good._

_Whether it's orgasm or I'm dying, I never felt anything like this!_

He came back to earth slowly, his eyes unseeing as he caught his breath and laid, completely immobilized in Bazz-B's arms. He drifted off for a while, and when he woke, found the quincy sleeping with a cute, please smirk still on his face. He extracted himself slowly and started to dress, shaking his head at his foolishness for getting involved with a former enemy and a prisoner of war who hadn't yet been tried.

He paused as he started to put his pants on and saw the new markings.

Renji's jaw dropped and he stared at the quincy, who was now awake and smiling at him. Bazz-B gave him a cocky wink.

"I think it looks good," he complimented the redhead, "Don't you, Renji?"

The redhead started to yell, then stopped himself and grinned instead.

"Yeah, it looks good...and it's Red...to you."


	2. Steam

**Chapter 2: Steam**

**(Yeah, due to circumstances beyond my control, this has morphed into a longer story. It's mpreg, so don't read if you don't like that. If you do, then read on! Thanks to everyone who encouraged me to continue this. You guys are the best! Spunky loves ya!)**

Renji woke to a strange, unsettled feeling in his belly and groaned uncomfortably.

_I wonder if it was because a guy made love to me for the first time._

Even though his stomach ached, the memory made him grin and _blush_.

_Bazz-B's not a bad guy. I was right in my first impression. He's loud and sometimes obnoxious and rude, but he's got a good side. And he's damned sexy. It's cool, running my fingers through that mohawk. Makes me feel like a shit for teasing him about it, but he brushed it off okay._

_Or maybe tattooing...that...was his way of getting revenge._

He lifted the blankets and peeked down at his newly marked member, blushing more fiercely as he remembered.

_"I think it looks good," he complimented the redhead, "Don't you, Renji_?"

The intense flutters the memory gave him undid the last of his resistance the the nausea he felt and he abandoned his bed, flash stepping to the bathroom, where he dropped onto his knees and emptied his stomach violently.

"F-fuck..." he groaned unhappily, "What th'hell? I wasn't even drunk last night?"

_I couldn't eat or drink a thing because of the weird feeling I got in my belly every time I thought about what we did. Holy hell..._

_That was pretty damned amazing!_

He felt an inward throb of anxiety that bent him over the toilet a second time.

_Man, I hope it wasn't the tea or snacks we had. I might have poisoned him too. Maybe I should go and check on him._

He stumbled out of the bathroom, still in his sleeping yukata, and turned into the hallway, heading down to the holding cell. He looked in and found the quincy sleeping comfortably.

_Huh, so it's just me, I guess._

He left Bazz-B sleeping and walked back to his quarters, and into the bathroom, where he slipped out of his nightclothes and stepped into the shower. He closed his eyes as he stood under the hot, reviving spray and hummed softly to himself until the discomfort seemed to fade away. He bathed himself slowly, lingering over the place the quincy had marked his body, looking down at the new tattoos and smiling affectionately.

He let out a soft, amused huff of breath as the thoughts of the quincy officer made his tattooed member throb and begin to harden.

_It's just because I went so long without having sex, right? Down in the lower Rukongai, I sometimes traded my body for money so that Rukia wouldn't. The guys were perverts and usually treated me roughly, but that was what you got for being a lower Rukongai young male prostitute. Until Bazz-B, no one ever touched me like that unless they were paying me. No one ever touched me like that because they...liked me. Sex was a means to an end, so when I got here and entered the shinigami academy, I never had a girlfriend or boyfriend. I got offers from some of the rich guys, who wanted something secret so they could experiment and play without getting in trouble with their elders, but I never took them up on it._

_Until last night, I only knew about sex._

_I didn't know until I was with Bazz-B what 'making love' felt like._

_How weird is that?_

Renji closed his eyes and leaned against the shower wall, letting the hot water strike him and run in streams down his flushed body. He couldn't help but imagine what it would be like if the quincy officer was with him in the shower, naked, pressing up against him and kissing him with passion no one else ever had.

_"You can't get enough, can you Red?" Bazz-B teased him, biting at his lips and sliding a soapy hand down to Renji's nether region, then caressing the place he had marked, "Don't worry, I think you're pretty irresistible too."_

_The quincy's smirking mouth moved on to lick the beads of water from the blushing skin of his throat, then he sucked and nibbled the tanned flesh, causing more flutters in the redhead's belly and made his already hard member stiffen until it ached. He returned to Renji's mouth for a bout of kisses, while each explored the other's alert nether region with enthusiastic hands. Renji flinched as Bazz-B's fingers began to prepare him and he looked into the quincy's fiery eyes._

_"You want to do it in here?" Bazz-B purred into his ear._

_"I'll do it anywhere you say," Renji moaned, writhing under the other man's ministrations._

_"Man, you love the burner fingers now, don't you?" Bazz-Blaughed, invoking his power and teasing the redhead to the ends of his wits._

_Renji barely felt the invasion of his body, but he reveled in the deep, seething heat and the powerful feeling of connection with that other person. He moved easily with Bazz-B, cresting a wave of intense pleasure and loosing a ringing howl of completion as they climaxed together._

The redhead returned suddenly to reality and found himself shuddering and panting heatedly in release. He wondered from the hard ringing in his ears if maybe he had actually cried out or if it was just the result of his sexual play. He rinsed himself off and exited the shower, feeling calm and relaxed, but teased with a thin edge of remaining uncertainty.

_It won't really be safe for us until after the trial, and that's only if Central 46 pardons them and sets them free. Even if they aren't put in the prison or the Maggot's Nest, there are a lot of things that could happen that aren't good._

_And besides all of that, who's to say that our being together wasn't a one-time thing for him? We didn't talk about what happens next. We were completely in the moment, because, right now, that's all we have. Tomorrow, the Central 46 council could end everything with their ruling._

Sweat broke out on Renji's forehead as he remembered Rukia's situation.

_That was Aizen's manipulations, since the real council had been murdered before her death sentence was handed down, but the reason no one really questioned it, even though it was an unusually harsh ruling was because most of those guys are nobles who look down on Byakuya for taking Rukia into the family. The vehemence of her sentence rang true because she was a commoner who they figured should never have been accepted into the Kuchiki clan. It would have punished both her crime and Byakuya's for letting her into the family. That's why no one suspected. And even though there's more tolerance for commoners now, that doesn't mean that they'll give the quincies that kind of consideration. Even though they helped us in the end, Bazz-B and the others killed people, soldiers who were just fighting to protect their home as the quincies invaded. They might not have the power boost that Ywach gave them, but they still have captain-level abilities that could trouble the military if they decided to misuse them. That's enough to get one of our own put in the Maggot's Nest and these are former enemies already._

_Damn, I don't think these guys are gonna get a fair shake._

Renji dried himself off slowly, still mulling over the matter, and his worries persisted as he dressed in his uniform, then exited his room. As he did, the door to Byakuya's quarters opened and a sleepy-eyed Tetsuya stepped out into the hallway, dressed in a lovely blue sleeping yukata and matching slippers.

"Hey Tetsuya," he greeted the noble, "I didn't know you and Captain came back last night. Does Captain want his morning tea and breakfast? I can make it. I was going to make something for myself anyway."

"Why don't we make breakfast together?" Tetsuya offered, "You're better at making his tea and I excel more at preparing his food the way he likes it."

"Sounds great," Renji said amiably.

The two walked down to the kitchen and Renji opened the door for Tetsuya, who smiled and entered first. The redhead couldn't help stealing a glance further down the hallway, even though he couldn't see Bazz-B's cell. He shook his head and sighed at the silly reflex and moved to join Tetsuya in the kitchen.

"So, how are you and Captain doing with the preparations for the wedding?" he asked the blue-eyed noble as Tetsuya removed the breakfast food from the refrigerator and began the cooking.

"Oh, it's going fine, although both Byakuya and I would rather have wed quietly, without so much fuss. It's just that he's a clan leader and they want to give the survivors of the war something to focus on as we rebuild. I suppose they figure it's best to try to make life as normal for all of us as they can, despite the situation."

"Yeah, although nothing's really going to be the same, you know?" Renji said, setting the tea water to boil and preparing the serving pot.

Tetsuya smiled sadly.

"No, I suppose not. But always with situations like this, there are some good things that come out of it too. I cannot complain, as the war encouraged more acceptance of mixed bloods, and the loss of so many powerful nobles in the war has necessitated more acceptance of mixed marriages to repopulate the clans. It is still difficult for those of less than half-noble blood, but it is a large step forward, considering how bad it was while Byakuya and I were children."

"Yeah," Renji agreed, sighing as he thought of a bored and lonely Bazz-B sitting alone in his cell, "I don't expect, though, that even their help in the war will be enough to make Central 46 see Bazz-B and the others as anything but enemies."

Tetsuya was quiet for a moment as he added spices to the cooking food, then he looked up at Renji again.

"Would you like sweet spice?" he inquired.

"Hmmm," Renji mused, stepping forward, "Maybe just make it like Captain's."

"But I thought you disliked spicy foods," Tetsuya said, looking confused, "or did I mis-remember?"

"No, you had it right," Renji answered, shrugging, "I just feel like eating something different."

"All right, but I will go easy as Byakuya likes his food very spicy. I take it with a little less, myself. I reacted very strongly to anything but bland food when I first came to Kuchiki Manor because I had only ever had bland, tasteless things at the prison where I was confined."

Renji felt an inward twinge as he imagined what Tetsuya must have gone through.

"It's really bad, being locked up, isn't it?" he said, placing a hand on his turning stomach and paling, "That must have been hard for you."

"Yes, we were confined most of the time and only allowed outside once a day. We were only given a little bit of food so that we had strength to do whatever they ordered us to. The older, less attractive among us were used for slave labor, while the younger and more comely were sexually abused."

Renji let out a disgusted breath.

"I can't believe nobles, who are supposed to be an example for everyone, would treat anyone that way, especially their own family members," he complained.

"I agree," Tetsuya sighed, "intolerance is a very ugly thing."

Renji paled further and felt sickness assail his insides.

"Are you all right, Renji?" Tetsuya asked.

"Y-yeah," the redhead stammered, blinking as he realized tears had come to his eyes, "I'm okay. I'm just..."

Tetsuya gave him a sympathetic look.

"Are you worried for your quincy friend?" he asked gently.

"M-my _friend_?" Renji repeated, frowning in confusion, "I mean, he's not really a friend. We did work together to defeat Ywach in the end, but he was an enemy before. Now..."

Renji trailed off and swallowed hard, fighting the mingled urges to cry and throw up.

"Renji, you really look unwell," Tetsuya said in a concerned tone, "Why don't you go back to bed? I will inform Byakuya that you are ill and I'll bring you something to eat as well."

"Maybe you're right," the redhead sighed, "I don't feel like myself at all today. But, can you make sure that Baz...that the prisoner gets his meal too? I made most of it last night. It just needs to be heated up and tea made."

"I will take care of it," Tetsuya promised, "Go and rest."

Renji left the kitchen and paused in the hallway, frowning at the ache in his belly and his heart that seemed to war with each other as he stood, unable to move. Finally, he gave in to the urge he felt and walked down to Bazz-B's cell to find the quincy awake and looking out at him.

"Hey, Red," he greeted Renji.

"You shouldn't call me that in front of people," Renji said in a low voice.

"No one's here," the quincy said, smirking, "What's wrong? You get scolded this morning for playing around with me while you were guarding me?"

"Will you knock it off?" Renji hissed, glancing back down the hallway, "There are people around."

"What's going on with you?" Bazz-B asked, sobering slightly, "You look like hell. Was I too rough with you?"

"No!" Renji snapped irritably, "Just stop talking about it, please. If word gets around I was being too nice to you..."

"Oh, fucking is 'being too nice now?' the quincy asked, scowling, "Man, what is up with you? You were actually pretty damned good company last night. A lot of folks around here just glare at me. They don't even talk to me."

"They're upset because you and your comrades killed people they knew," Renji said unhappily.

"Yeah? Well, you shinigamis killed people I knew too. It was war, Red. It wasn't personal."

"Thing is, it was the quincies who came and attacked us with no warning."

"They gave you a warning," Bazz-B countered.

"Then, they attacked early!" Renji exclaimed, "That freak, As Nodt, almost slaughtered my captain! You guys came out of nowhere."

"We used every advantage. That's what you do in a war. But I thought you understood that."

"Yeah...no...I don't fucking know anymore, okay?" Renji said, feeling a jolt inside as tears threatened and he had to shut his eyes for a moment.

Bazz-B moved forward and curled his hands around the bars of his cell.

"Renji, you know that Ywach did what he did because the shinigamis slaughtered as many quincies as they could before. They almost annihilated us."

"You and I weren't even born then!" Renji snapped, "And there was a reason that order was given! Each side believed they were right, but they couldn't coexist peacefully unless one side or the other backed down. If you read your history, the quincies were the ones who refused to negotiate at all."

"That doesn't excuse fucking genocide," Bazz-B hissed.

"Thing is," Renji said, meeting the quincy's eyes again sadly, "You and the others weren't fighting to avenge those people at all. You weren't fighting to gain what you felt you needed. You guys said it as you appeared and started killing us. You did it because he wanted you to. You did it for him. Say what you want about old man Yamamoto, he wouldn't have ever taken us to war for the selfish reasons your leader did."

Renji went quiet at the tormented look that crossed the quincy officer's face, just before he turned away.

"You should go," Bazz-B said in a low voice, "You don't want to be seen talking too nice to me."

"Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to throw that in your face."

"Why shouldn't you?" Bazz-B said, kicking the bars in frustration, "We got completely blindsided by that manipulating bastard."

"Just like we got manipulated by Aizen before," Renji said more calmly, "It doesn't make you a bad person to make a mistake in trusting someone."

"Like I trusted you?" the quincy said, turning his back on the redhead.

"_Trusted_?" Renji repeated, shaking his head, "What do you mean, you trusted me?"

Bazz-B turned back and glared at him meaningfully.

"I thought you and I were on the same wavelength. I thought you were attracted to me. I guess it was just a novelty thing, eh?"

"What are you talking about?" Renji asked angrily, "I haven't been to bed with anyone since I was a teenager in the lower Rukon! I've never even had a girlfriend or boyfriend! When I had sex before you, it was for money for food for Rukia and the kids we lived with, not for love. I didn't know what making love even meant until you, you stupid, fucking asshole! So don't goddamned tell _me_ I would make love with you because of the fucking _novelty_. That's a crappy thing to say about me!"

Bazz-B was silent for several long moments as he gazed back at Renji in surprise. He paled slightly and swallowed hard.

"Sounds like those old noble geezers didn't treat you much better than they treated us. Sorry, I didn't know."

"It's fine," Renji sighed, leaning against the bars as Bazz-B came closer and rested his cheek against the redhead's through the opening in the bars.

"They're gonna kill us or put us away forever, aren't they, Red?" the quincy said in a strangely vulnerable sounding tone, "All because we trusted the wrong person."

"I don't know," Renji confessed, "Maybe. We have to wait for the hearing."

"Yeah," Bazz-B agreed softly, "We both know how that will go."

"Sorry," Renji offered, kissing him on the cheek and turning away.

Renji stiffened and his eyes widened in distress as he found himself face to face with Tetsuya, who had arrived with the quincy's meal.

"Tetsuya," he whispered, his heart pounding.

The noble was silent for a moment, then looked into Renji's eyes with complete faith.

"What I saw is forgotten, Renji," Tetsuya said softly, "It's all right. I won't say anything."

He passed the tray to Bazz-B through an opening in the bars, then turned and walked back down the hallway.


	3. For the Protection of the Seireitei

**Chapter 3: For the Protection of Seireitei**

"Is he really okay with this?" Bazz-B asked, frowning as he watched Tetsuya disappear back down the hallway, "The guy saw you kissing the enemy!"

"He may or may not be okay with it," Renji said thoughtfully, "but I don't think he really considers you an enemy, since you did help Captain Kuchiki and the others in the war. And anyway, Tetsuya's a little different because he grew up a prisoner in a noble's prison."

"He grew up in a prison?" Bazz-B mused, "What did he do?"

"He didn't do anything," Renji answered in a low, somber tone, "Tetsuya's father was just a noble guy who married a commoner, back when that wasn't just a sin, but was one that the clans punished harshly. Some of the nobles were so extreme, they built the prisons and kidnapped people like Tetsuya's family. They imprisoned them and executed a lot of them. Others, they kept as slaves or sexual servants. Tetsuya's father was executed right away. His mother died of abuse and neglect. Tetsuya survived mostly because of his cellmate, and he was used as a sexual servant by one of his own pureblood cousins. So, if he decided not to say anything about what he saw, it wasn't just that he didn't see you as a threat, it was because he knows what it's like to be locked away like you could be. I think he wouldn't wish that on anyone."

"Damn..." Bazz-B mused, "I guess he's well aware your Central 46 is mostly made up of nobles, who will judge someone like me even more harshly than a commoner. I was an enemy. I killed shinigamis. Even helping out later was something I only did to save my own skin and get some payback. They've got no reason to go easy on me."

"Yeah," Renji admitted, his eyes going stormy, "I guess I understand they'd question your motives. And if I thought you were going to attack us or something, I'd probably even understand them thinking they need to keep tabs on you, or put you in the Maggot's Nest."

"But you think you know me better than that?" the quincy asked.

"Maybe," Renji sighed, "and maybe not. I don't know. I can only go with what I feel, and I feel like you're not an enemy."

"Well, we did have sex," Bazz-B remembered, grinning, "damned good sex. Your mind's still recovering from being blown, ne?"

"Eh, shut up," Renji chuckled, blushing, "I don't know why I let that happen."

"You think you made a mistake?" the quincy inquired, eyeing him closely.

"No...yeah, I don't know," Renji sighed, blinking his slightly burning eyes, "I didn't sleep so well and I'm not thinking straight right now. Sorry."

"It's okay," Bazz-B said, smirking, "It just means you enjoyed the sex a lot too. I'll take it as a compliment. And just to let you know, I think you're pretty fucking hot, Red. If I get locked up and never have anyone again, I'd just replay us together. That'd get me through."

"You're full of shit," Renji laughed softly, "I can't have been that good."

"Sure you were," Bazz-B insisted, nipping at his earlobe through the bars, "I'm hard just looking at you and remembering, see?"

He took hold of Renji's hand and guided it down to his prominent arousal.

"I wish we could do it again," he sighed, closing his eyes, "but we're out of time, aren't we, Red?"

Renji swallowed hard.

"Yeah, it looks like we are."

"You don't think we're getting outta this, do you?" the quincy asked.

Renji felt a quiver inside and lowered his eyes.

"I don't think you'll be executed, but I don't think you'll go free either," he admitted, "I hope you do, but..."

The two heard footsteps approaching and Renji pulled away from the bars just before Byakuya appeared in the hallway. Renji stood quietly, all too aware of the blush on his skin, but if Byakuya noticed, he gave no sign, only meeting his vice captain's eyes calmly.

"A summons has arrived for the quincies to be escorted to Central 46. They have ordered all captains and their adjutants to be present for the hearing."

"Yes sir," Renji said, stepping back as Byakuya moved forward and unlocked the cell door.

"Will you fit the prisoner with bindings?" Byakuya requested.

"Yes sir," Renji answered, moving to the wall and retrieving the red leather collar and bindings.

He stepped into the cell and fastened the collar around the quincy's throat as Bazz-B stood quietly, exchanging measured glances with Byakuya. At the redhead's touch on the collar, long bindings crawled down from the collar and fastened the quincies wrists together behind his back.

"Guards," Byakuya said solemnly, bringing in four unseated squad members who took up leading poles they attached to the strands that emerged from the collar.

They positioned themselves around the restrained quincy and Byakuya and Renji moved out ahead of them as the group left the sixth division and started towards Central 46. Bazz-B focused his eyes on Renji's red ponytail and slender back, sighing inwardly as he enjoyed what he suspected might be the last glimpses he would get of the very attractive tattooed shinigami.

_He's fucking amazing, Red is. I believe what he said about him being a male prostitute before. It's sad that it's the reason he's so good in bed. It's even more sad that he finally fell for me, when we don't have any kind of future. But I won't be sorry for seducing him. I'm still feeling the afterglow from our lovemaking. Maybe it'll last for the rest of my life and I won't even mind being locked up._

_Naw, I really want to get inside him again. I want to run my fingers through that thick red mane of his, use the ends to tease my sensitive places while I bury myself in that hot, wet mouth. I want to run my hands down his body again, feeling those muscles he's worked so hard to build up and licking the little scars from his battles. I want to follow every one of his tattoos with my fingers and tongue, especially the ones I put on him. And I want to feel him holding me, with his arms and with that place he shared with me, the one he only freely gave to me and no one else._

_Damn, I'm really in love with him, aren't I? Too fucking bad for me...for us, Red. We've got all of the heat, all of the passion and no chance at all now._

_Fuck._

He realized suddenly that his feet had stopped moving, that the guards were staring at him and that Byakuya and Renji had turned to face him.

"Are you unwell?" Byakuya asked him.

"Yeah, I'm fucking _unwell_," he admitted, "You guys are either going to have me executed or I'm going to be locked up forever. I think you'd be a little unwell too."

He noticed suddenly that Renji had gone pale and his eyes were almost closed to avoid seeing.

"Sorry," Bazz-B said, recovering himself, "I'll be fine."

Byakuya nodded silently and turned with Renji to continue on their way. But Bazz-B could feel the redhead's growing discomfort as they neared their destination. Bazz-B showed no reaction as other captains and vice captains arrived, leading the remaining living quincies along. Bazz-B avoided the eyes of the two elite officers who had remained aligned with the quincy king until his fall.

"Well, if it isn't the group of misfit backstabbers," Askin said icily, "You _do _know that before we breathe our last, we're going to be sure that you traitors die the most painful and nasty death possible, ne?"

"Shut up, loser," Bazz-B growled softly, "You only stuck with him cause he kept acting like you were special. You don't even see that he never gave two shits about anything but using us all to keep himself functional."

Pernidas added nothing, but gave Bazz-B a look from beneath his hood that promised a painful death.

The captains leading the enemy quincies entered the compound first, followed by the ones leading Bazz-B, Liltotto and Gigi. They proceeded through the lobby, then down several hallways, before emerging into the large meeting chamber where the councilors waited to judge them. The Grand Councilor slammed his gavel down on the table in front of him, calling the meeting to order.

"Lords and ladies of Central 46," he boomed, "It is our task today to take up the matter of the enemy quincies not killed in the war and to decide the fates of each. Councilor Fumio, you will please read the charges against these invaders."

"Quincies Askin, Pernidas, Bazz-B, Liltotto and Giselle," Fumio read, "You are all accused of the following. You did willingly join with Juha Bach, helped plan and carry out the first invasion, in which you murdered thousands of shinigami soldiers. You then engaged our captains in battle, using in underhanded methods to steal their own power and use it against them. Your goal in all of this was to kill as many shinigamis as you could and to secure leadership for Juha Bach. Askin and Pernidas, you two face additional charges of invading the royal realm, attacking the zero division and you bear partial responsibility for killing Reiou. Officers Bazz-B, Liltotto and Giselle, it is noted that you did, after Juha Bach reclaimed your power, join with our forces to help defeat your former leader, even forgoing his offer to restore your powers and give you a place in his new regime."

"Our council has considered each of the charges against you," the Grand Councilor explained, and we have come to the following decisions. Quincies Askin and Pernidas, having been a part of the invasion and occupation of our lands, from beginning to end, you would have received an order of execution. However, due to your unusual abilities, we are not able to kill you. Instead, you will be confined to the lowest level of our Central 46 prison...Muken, to be held in heavy restraints, so that your wickedness will never again threaten innocent lives."

"You are a fine one to call the ones we took innocent!" Askin spat, "Your kind murdered us quincies to near extinction!"

"Silence!" shouted the Grand Councilor, banging his gavel loudly, "And know that your argument is baseless! None of us standing here today had any part of the decisions made years ago, and our society was not suppressing you when you took these actions. In fact, Central 46 was aware of the continued existence of a number of quincies and had done nothing to harm them, opting instead to leave them be as long as they did not give us cause for war, as did the quincies before. Your lot came from out of the shadows, without warning and making a lie of your statement that you were attacking in five days. Your methods were sneaky and deplorable, completely dishonorable as methods of war."

"Hey, whatever it took to win," Askin sneered.

"I don't think you won in the end, quincy," the Grand Councilor reminded him solemnly, "Guards, remove those two to Muken immediately!"

Bazz-B avoided the deadly gaze of the two as they were led past him. He turned his attention back to the council as the Grand Councilor continued.

"Officers Bazz-B, Liltotto and Giselle, you are guilty of involvement in the first invasion and the beginning of the second. You ended many shinigami lives and caused heavy damage to our home. However, you did also provide needed support as our captains attempted to reach the royal realm to confront the quincy king, and you did not accept his offer to rejoin his forces in return for reinstatement of your powers and other rewards, including the offer to take captured shinigamis as your sexual and menial servants. You certainly could have taken that action, and it would have greatly impacted our ability to fight and win. Add to that, Giselle, you have been additionally helpful in Captain Kurotsuchi's research. Our recommendation for the three of you is as follows. Giselle, you are remanded to the custody of the twelfth division to continue to aid Captain Kurotsuchi in his laboratory. Officers Liltotto and Bazz-B, we cannot free you, as you are guilty of the crime of murder, but we will place you in the less restrictive Maggot's Nest for the rest of your lives. You will not face abuse and your basic need will be met there."

"Can we have conjugal visits?" Bazz-B asked, smirking, "I have a cute boyfriend I'd like to shag once in a while."

He blinked in surprise at the Grand Councilor's calm, serious answer.

"Visitation in granted, including conjugal visits, as cleared by your resident jailors. They have been instructed to see that you are not mistreated and that your incarceration be reasonably comfortable."

"Huh, thanks, I guess."

"Guards, you will escort the remaining prisoners to their assigned facilities. This hearing is adjourned."

"Well Red, I guess this is it," Bazz-B said, grinning at Renji as he and Byakuya watched the guards approach, "Take care, okay?"

"Right," Renji said through tightened lips, trying to fight the deeper flush that threatened, "Don't piss off the guards or you deserve what you get," he managed, attempting to sound flippant.

He felt Byakuya's curious gaze touch him and looked away.

"Are you feeling all right, Abarai?" the noble asked quietly, "You look even more pale than you did before we left the division."

"Eh, I'm just tired, sir," Renji said wearily.

"You may have the rest of the day off after we have finished the morning report and you've been examined at the fourth division."

"Aw, Captain, you know I hate going there," the redhead complained, "They take any opportunity to jab me with their goddamned needles ever time!"

"Would you prefer to have Tetsuya look you over?" Byakuya offered, "He is not only a capable bodyguard, he was trained for healing as well."

"Y-yeah, he'd be better," Renji sighed, "At least he won't be jabbing me with anything."

Renji's blush returned full force as he realized what he'd said and that his usually stoic captain had almost smiled.

"Come, Renji."

Renji fell in with the noble, glad for Byakuya's tendency to be relatively reserved. He asked only a few work related questions as they walked back, then offered to finish the morning report himself, seeing how tired his subordinate looked.

"Tetsuya will be in my quarters," Byakuya directed him, "Go in and have him look you over before you turn in."

"Sure. Thanks, Captain."

Renji left the office, his heart flickering uncomfortably as he remembered what the younger Kuchiki had witnessed.

_He said he wouldn't say anything..._

He tapped on the door to the captain's quarters and made a sound of surprise as Tetsuya opened the door, revealing that he was still in his nightclothes and looked to have just awakened.

"Hey, sorry, I didn't know you were sleeping. I can come back later."

"No, it's fine," Tetsuya said, running his fingers through his hair, "I'm just extra tired. I'm not unwell. Come in Renji."

"You sure you're all right?"

"Mhmm," Tetsuya yawned, "but what did you need?"

"Ah, I wasn't feeling so good before and Captain told me to have you check me out before I hit the sack for a while. He wanted me to go to the fourth, but..."

"I know you get flustered by needles," Tetsuya laughed, turning to fetch a small medical kit from within the nightstand drawer.

He took the redhead's temperature and studied him visually for a moment, then touched his face gently and infused a small amount of trace reiatsu, closing his eyes and sensing as it seeped into Renji's body and he read the yielded impression.

"You don't seem ill exactly," Tetsuya reasoned, "Your temperature is normal, but your reiatsu seems a bit depleted. I would infuse you myself, but..."

He paused and Renji frowned and looked at him more closely.

"What's going on?" he asked curiously, "You've been acting kinda strangely. Are you really okay?"

"I'm fine," Tetsuya assured him, "It's just that...well, I just learned I am with child. P-please don't tell anyone."

"You're having a baby? What the heck? You're a guy, aren't you?"

"Yes!" Tetsuya exclaimed, covering the redhead's mouth for a moment to quiet him, "Some noble males are just able to grow babies in reiatsu form. It's a little different than normal pregnancy, but...I am pregnant...and we're not married yet, so it needs to be a secret, please."

"Oh, sure," Renji said, grinning, "I mean, you're keeping quiet for me, right? The least I can do is to keep your secret in return."

"Oh, don't worry about what I saw," Tetsuya said, shaking his head, "I know that whatever might have happened between you and the quincy, you would never take an action that would hurt Byakuya."

"I wouldn't," Renji promised, "I just...get Bazz-B and he gets me. It's weird that we're supposed to be enemies, but we have this...understanding of each other."

"Love is odd that way, reaching across boundaries," Tetsuya agreed, "For many years, Byakuya and I loved each other, but I refused to see him because I didn't dare to reach across those boundaries."

"But things changed and now you have each other," Renji sighed, looking down at his hands, "Not that it will happen like that for us, especially now that Bazz-B is going to be in the Maggot's Nest."

"You could visit him there, couldn't you?"

"Eh, I don't know. I suppose I can, but I don't know if it's a good idea to do that when I know we'd want more than just a visit together...and you know how well that would go over."

"About as well as it went over when my father made me with a peasant woman," Tetsuya sighed.

"This really sucks," Renji groaned, "but there's nothing to do but deal with it, I guess."

"I suppose," Tetsuya agreed sadly.

"Well, thanks for the healing, Tetsuya," the redhead said, standing.

He paused and put a hand to his head, swaying slightly as dizziness swept over him.

"I think you should have Byakuya give you that infusion," Tetsuya suggested worriedly.

"It's fine," Renji said, rising and waving him off, "I just got up too fast. You take care of that kid, all right?"

"I will," Tetsuya said, blushing.

He watched, frowning as Renji took two steps towards the door, then started to collapse.

"Renji!" he cried, flash stepping forward and catching the redhead as Byakuya heard his shout and rushed into the hallway.

"What is it? What happened to him?"

Tetsuya caught his breath softly and his fingertips touched his abdomen for a moment.

_Renji couldn't be...could he? He and Bazz-B aren't noble born._

_But..._

"Tetsuya?"

"Renji fainted," Tetsuya informed him, "His reiatsu is low. He will need an infusion."

"I will see to it. You should be resting."

"I will. I am just...worried about him."

"Renji will be fine," Byakuya assured him, "Go and rest, love."

_Perhaps I should say something, but what could I say? He shouldn't be pregnant. And maybe it's just that I am, so I'm looking with confused eyes._

_I will just watch him._

_But what will I do if he is...?_


	4. Hunger

**Chapter 4: Hunger**

**(Sorry for the very long wait and my thanks to Toshiro46 for giving me a nudge to finish this. Off to a busy day now, but warmed in heart by these two burning lovers! Enjoy the chapter. Love, Spunky)**

Renji woke to an urgent, lurching feeling in his stomach and flash stepped towards the bathroom. His forward motion was stopped almost violently, and he heard a loud _bang_, then felt a warm dribble on his forehead.

"F-fer fuck's sake!" he gasped, grabbing the door handle and wrenching the door open, so he could crawl to the toilet.

He barely arrived in time before succumbing to the feeling of illness.

"Ugh!" he groaned, grimacing unhappily as he managed to wrangle a cup from up on the sink.

He filled the cup with water and rinsed his mouth, then dragged himself to his feet and glared into the mirror, groaning again as he beheld his haggard reflection.

"Damn! I look like hell warmed over," he sighed, leaning forward to examine and clean up the still leaking wound he had gotten when he had crashed into the bathroom door.

He stumbled back out into his bedroom and to his bed, rubbing his aching belly and muttering uncomfortably. A pained groan escaped him as someone tapped gently on his door.

"Y-yeah, what is it?" he grumbled, sitting on the edge of the bed and scratching the back of his neck.

"It is me," Byakuya's voice said quietly from outside the room, "I was wondering if you were still unwell as it was late and you had not checked in with me yet."

Renji's eyes widened and glanced nervously at the clock.

"Aw, damn! S-sorry, Captain. I must've overslept."

"May I enter?" Byakuya asked.

"Yeah, sure. Come in, sir," Renji answered, wrangling his yukata into place so that it covered him more thoroughly.

He watched as the door opened and Byakuya entered the bedroom and paused, just inside the door.

"Are you all right, Renji?" he asked, frowning, "I had thought Tetsuya's healing and a good night's sleep would make you feel better, but if anything, I think you look worse."

"I'm okay, sir," Renji lied, "I'll be fine. I just...still felt kinda crappy when I woke up, but I'm feeling better now."

"Your color is improving," Byakuya agreed, "but as this illness seems to be hanging on, I want you to go report to the fourth division to be evaluated more thoroughly. You may have the rest of the day off after, but have the results of any testing forwarded to me, along with your clearance to return to duty."

"Oh man," Renji sighed, lowering his head between his knees, "I hate that place. Do I really have to go there? You know they'll wanna get out their damned needles..."

"You have been vaccinated recently," Byakuya reminded him, "I remember well, as I assisted in holding you still until you fainted...and that was before the needle touched you."

"Yeah, thanks for the reminder, Captain," Renji said dryly, "Come on, can't you just give me one more day to recover _without _me having to go there? You let Tetsuya heal me before. Can't I just rest today and see him in the morning? If I'm still not well, I promise I'll go to the fourth tomorrow. Just...I don't wanna have to deal with all of that today, you know?"

Byakuya's frown deepened for a moment while he considered. Finally, he nodded.

"Very well. Take the day off and rest. But Renji, if you are not well in the morning, it is my order that you will see a healer at the fourth division."

"Yes sir," Renji said gratefully, "I will."

Byakuya started to turn away, then turned back again.

"Abarai, if it is not too taxing, could you stop by the Maggot's Nest and check in with the warden about the quincy Bazz-B's care orders. We have a responsibility to be sure that he is not mistreated in any way. I'll need you to visually verify his condition and the comfort of his quarters, as well as the measures accorded for his safety. Do you think you are up to that?"

"Oh," Renji said, looking surprised for a moment, "Yeah, no problem, sir. I'll take care of that. And uh, thanks for the day off and the reprieve from the fourth."

"Do not make me sorry for being lenient with you," Byakuya said, turning out of the room, "Rest well, Renji."

"Yeah. Yeah, I will," the redhead promised.

He watched as the noble left the room, then glanced back into the mirror at his still oddly pale visage.

"Damn, I hope this goes away before tomorrow. I fucking hate the fourth..."

He sighed resignedly and dragged himself to his feet, letting his yukata drop away as he faced the mirror and pausing to study his tattooed reflection. A small smile made the corners of his mouth curve upward as he examined the markings Bazz-B had left. He felt a tickling inward twinge, knowing that he would be seeing the former quincy soldier in mere minutes. He carefully avoided thinking about the fact that there were no rules prohibiting them from having sex again if they wanted to, but memories of their prior sexual joining teased his mind as he dressed and left the sixth, then headed towards the Maggot's Nest.

He arrived at the gates a short time later, where he was stopped and searched, then asked to leave his weapons before the gates opened and he walked inside. He tried to fend off the instant dark feeling he always got from the place, reminding himself that the people confined in the Maggot's Nest were imprisoned, but not mistreated, that they had their needs met and were given more privileges than the real criminals who occupied the harsher prison at the Central 46 compound.

_If he has to be locked up, it could be lots worse than this. It's not the greatest place, and it sucks that he can't leave, but the real prison is way worse._

He studied the small dwellings given to the occupants, each accorded with televisions, cooking areas and plenty of access to reading and learning material.

_Although, why bother with learning anything when you know they don't let people out of here. When you come here, you come here to stay. They don't let people out of the Maggot's Nest._

"Who are you here to see?" the warden asked.

"The quincy, Bazz-B," Renji answered, only half attending as he continued to look around, "Captain Kuchiki wants me to examine his situation and give a full report to make sure Central 46's orders have been carried out."

"Yes sir. Go on, then. His quarters are on the upper level."

Renji nodded approvingly, heading up the higher trail to a set of small cottages built into the tops of a row of trees and accessed by a rampway built into the side of the stone cliff that bordered the trees.

_It's brighter, and the ones up here have a little more privacy from the rest of the occupants._

Renji walked along the row of trees, slowing as he approached Bazz-B's assigned cottage. As he moved closer, his feet slowed and his heart began to beat faster.

_What's gonna happen?_

_I wonder if we'll..._

"Hey," Bazz-B's voice greeted him, floating down from a branch just above the cottage, "good to see you again, Red. What brings you?"

Renji grinned back at the quincy as Bazz-B dropped from the branch and landed lightly in front of him.

"You come to check out my new place?"

"Yeah, kinda," Renji answered, "Captain Kuchiki asked me to check in here and see that the warden was following Central 46's orders for you like they're supposed to. Have to make sure that you're comfortable and not being mistreated or anything."

"Heh," Bazz chuckled, running his fingers through his red mohawk and ruffling the ends, "You mean, other than being held here whether I like it or not?"

"Uh, sorry about that," Renji apologized.

"Don't be," Bazz said dismissively, "If I was a shinigami imprisoned by the quincies, I wouldn't get good treatment like this. I'm okay with this for now. I'll worry about later, later."

"You want to let me inside?" Renji asked, blushing as the quincy smirked at him.

"Oh, eager, huh?" he laughed, "Want to get right down to business? Right this way, Red."

"I didn't mean it that way," Renji said, trying to sound annoyed, but barely able to fight off a grin equal to the amused quincy's.

Bazz-B followed him into the cottage, then shut the door behind them and swiftly forced the surprised redhead back against the door. A hot, hungry mouth clamped down on Renji's and an even hotter tongue slipped into his protesting mouth, stifling his complaint and leaving him breathless and weak in the knees. He was completely unprepared when Bazz-B released him, and his legs almost collapsed underneath him.

"F-fuck, what was that about?" Renji panted softly, running the back of his hand over his tingling mouth, "You almost crushed my teeth."

"Sorry," Bazz said, grinning widely, "Just wanted to give you a proper welcome. That, and I missed you. It's not bad here, but there's no one but Liltotto that really talks to me. The shinigamis in here are all kinda freaked out by us."

"Yeah, well, you were our enemies in the war."

"Not that these guys were involved," Bazz-B sighed, "Most of them were just in here, living life pretty much like normal while we were all out there struggling to stay alive. I don't think they really know how damned scary we actually are. They just don't know that much about us except for the stories the warden and guards tell about what happened outside. It's like a separate world in here."

"Right," Renji agreed, shifting uncomfortably, "Well, let me go ahead and do my job, okay?"

"Sure. What do you want to know?" Bazz asked, still smirking, "You want to know if my bed is comfortable? Why don't we try it out?"

"Will you stop that?" Renji asked in a flustered tone, "This is serious. My captain wants a report on this."

"Okay, so you have a good look around while I look you over."

"Man, you're really horny, aren't you?" Renji chuckled.

"Hey, as much as they said that there's a way to get that kind of service, I don't fuck someone just because I'm horny...especially when there's someone who I think about fucking, whether I'm horny or not."

"What?" Renji chuckled, blushing more brightly, "you've been thinking about me?"

Bazz gave him a sly look.

"Haven't you been thinking about me?" he asked, "You know, I can see, plain as day your dick is hard, Red."

"You were just kissing me, stupid," Renji snapped softly, "What do you think's gonna happen when you kiss me like that? We had really good sex. Of course I'm gonna get hard when you kiss me."

"You thought _that_ was good," Bazz said, backing him up against the wall and curving a hand around his face, "It only gets better. Wanna do it again?"

"That depends," Renji answered, lowering his eyes, "If we're going to do this, it needs to be just you and me."

Bazz-B's grin widened.

"You see anyone else here? It's just you and me, Red."

"That's not what I meant," Renji said, his smile fading, "I mean that I want to be the only guy you're having sex with...and I'll only have sex with you."

"Oh," the quincy said, his fiery eyes twinkling, "You wanna settle down? Live together here? Have some kiddies?"

Renji sighed and sat down on a chair at the table in the kitchen area, pausing as Bazz-B sat down on another.

"What are you saying to me, Renji?" the quincy went on, surprising the redhead all over again with the proper use of his name.

_Damn, everything he does gets to me..._

"I don't know," Renji confessed, "This isn't what I had planned for myself. I told you, after what happened to me in the Rukon...having to sell myself to older guys just to stay alive and feed the kids in our group..."

Bazz-B studied him carefully for several long moments.

"You do realize that tying yourself to me is no good, don't you?" he said finally, "I can't ever leave here. And I'm a guy so we can't have kids either."

"Not unless you're a noble or something," Renji said absently, looking out the window, "But you know, even if..."

"What did you say?" Bazz asked, frowning, "A noble?"

"Oh," Renji Renji said, smiling regretfully, "I just meant that if you or I were from a shinigami noble family, then we could have kids. But I haven't got an ounce of noble blood. I'm all mongrel. And you're a quincy, a kind of human."

"Yeah, kind of. I mean, we were humans a hella long time ago...before we had to go into the shadows of Soul Society. Now, only Uryu and his father are living quincies. The rest of us are just quincy souls. Almost there, huh? I mean, I am noble."

"What?" Renji asked, looking amused, "You are?"

"Yeah," Bazz-B answered, smiling as he remembered, "My family was one of the rich families among the quincies. I even lived in one of those old-fashioned castles, like in the fairy tales, when I was a kid. I had a buddy then...Jug-"

He paused abruptly, a haunted look coming into his eyes.

"You okay?" Renji asked, looking concerned, "Did something bad happen to your friend?"

"Yeah," Bazz admitted, his eyes darkening, "Ywach fucked up his mind and he almost killed me."

Renji stiffened as he suffered a sudden, sharp flashback.

_He rounded a corner and almost slipped in a pool of blood that had formed under a tall, collapsed form. He stared in dismay at the flash of red hair and the familiar white uniform._

_"Bazz-B?" he called, moving forward carefully and bending to turn the badly injured quincy over._

_He froze at the sight of the horrid slash and the blood that drenched his uniform._

_"Bazz-B!"_

_The stricken quincy's bloodied lips moved._

_"J-jugo..."_

"Hey," Bazz-B said suddenly, capturing Renji's chin and making their eyes meet, "You go away for a minute? Your eyes got all hazy."

"I was just...hey, Bazz-B," Renji said, frowning, "That friend of yours...it wasn't...Jugram Haschwalth, that gorgeous blond guy who was Ywach's military governor, was it?"

Bazz-B shook his head and scowled.

"You could say it was...and you could say it wasn't."

"Huh?"

"Before he joined Ywach and had his brains turned to sycophant mush, he was my friend, Jugo. Once Ywach took him away and messed him up, he got more beautiful, like you saw, and more powerful. But it was like our friendship meant nothing to him."

He bit his lip in frustration and slammed a closed fist down on the table.

"Ywach turned him into a monster...that goofy, good-hearted kid I knew. I wonder if he ever even realized before the end came and your forces cut him down."

Renji considered his words carefully.

"I think he did," he offered cautiously.

"Yeah? How do you know?"

Renji sighed, his mind going back to the lower Rukongai and the numerous friends who had died in his presence.

"Because, when you die, there's this moment," he explained, barely noticing as Bazz-B's eyes locked on him, attending closely, "when all of the lies around you, all of the things that hold back the truth fall away, and you see what's really been the most important thing, all along."

"Oh? And what's that?"

Renji shrugged.

"It's different things for different people. For some, it's the family they had, or wished they'd had. For some, it's possessions...friends...you know. For everyone, it's different."

"Is that so?" Bazz said, leaning towards him, "And so what's it for you? Or do you not know, because you haven't died yet?"

"I almost died," Renji corrected him, "My own captain almost killed me. And while I was lying there, dying, I realized that what really mattered? What I really wanted? It was a family. I never had my family, growing up. I had friends to help me along, but never anyone related to me."

He paused thoughtfully and looked back at Bazz-B.

"You almost died too," he went on, "You mind if I ask what you saw?"

The quincy looked back at him steadily, his cinnamon red eyes burning inwardly.

"I dunno," he sighed, "I had my family, but Ywach murdered them and burnt down our home. He took everything away and I had to fight my way into the Sternritters to make anything of myself and get close to him to try to even the score. I want my family back. I want to kill that bastard. But...neither of those things are gonna happen for me."

"Well, Ywach is dead," Renji reminded him, "You might not have killed him, but he's gone now. You can rebuild your life the way you want it now."

"Yeah, right...in here?" Bazz-B asked, looking around, "I mean, it's not bad, but there's going to be no getting married, settling down and making a family for me."

"Bazz..."

"But," the quincy said, moving his chair closer and sliding an arm around Renji, "you and I can be a couple, if you want. What would I do with a wife and kids here? Besides, you're hotter than any girl I've ever seen."

Renji's fierce blush returned as Bazz-B met him for a painfully hard, shaky kiss.

"Can we do it again?" Bazz-B breathed in his ear, sending lusty twinges through Renji's insides, "I haven't been able to think about much else the whole time I've been here. I wanna do it with you again."

"You wanna have sex with me?" Renji asked uncertainly, his mouth going dry as he loosed the words.

"I wanna make love to you," Bazz corrected him, "cause when I almost died, I realized that I'd been in love with Jugo before and that's why it hurt so much when he tried to kill me. I would've felt lonely after he died, but when things got dark and I didn't know what was going to happen, you showed up and gave me one of the best things that ever happened to me."

"Shut up," Renji fussed, "It can't have been that good."

"Oh, it was good, Red," Bazz-B insisted, pulling him closer, "Best I ever had, because it was the only time I'd ever really felt close to the person I was doing it with."

He quelled Renji's next words with another scathing kiss and dragged the shocked redhead out of the chair and onto his feet. They exchanged a hailstorm of kisses as they staggered to the bed and fell down, tearing each other's clothes off and attacking each other hungrily.

Renji writhed dangerously beneath the naked quincy, holding on to Bazz-B's strong shoulders and rubbing their hot lengths together as the quincy's blazing fingers worked swiftly to prepare him. He groaned and shifted, pushing his hips upward to deepen the already intoxicating sensations, and was rewarded with a sudden turn onto his belly, and a warning touch before his body was roughly invaded and lovingly possessed. Renji closed his eyes and raised his bottom to meet the rush of heavy thrusts that followed. He turned his head for a bout of hard, biting kisses, arching his back wantonly and moaning loudly.

"It feels so good, doing this to you!" Bazz panted into his ear, "I couldn't stop thinking about before and it's only getting better!"

"Ungh!" Renji groaned heatedly, sweat leaking onto his face and down his muscular shoulders and arms, "H-harder! You don't have to be gentle with me. I'm not going to break..."

"You want harder?" Bazz teased him, grinning wickedly, "How's this? Harder and hotter. If I wasn't under a limiter and holding back, this would melt you, Red!"

Red fire seemed to erupt from Bazz-B's undulating form, flooding the length and breadth of the cottage and filling the very air with seething heat and radiant light. Renji screamed in a mixture of pleasure, fear and earthshaking release as Bazz-B's reiatsu seemed to strike him everywhere at once, causing overwhelming throbs of delight and more heated exclamations. Bazz-B loosed a howl of completion and unbearable heat flooded the reeling redhead inside. A hum filled his ears, then became a loud roaring in his head. His vision dimmed and for a time, everything went black. He wasn't sure how long he stayed that way, only that Bazz-B's voice sounded distant and scared when it finally broke through.

"Renji! Renji, are you okay? I'm gonna go and get one of the guards."

"N-no!" Renji objected, struggling to sit up, only to be pushed back down again, "Hey! Stop it! I'm okay. I'm fine."

"You passed out!" Bazz-B snapped, "You were out for over a minute!"

Renji grinned up at him weakly.

"Well, what do you expect after something like that?" he laughed dizzily, "That was amazing!"

"_Baka_!" Bazz-B scolded him, slapping him playfully on the cheek, "I thought I mighta killed you by accident!"

"I'm fine," Renji assured him, sitting up and seeking his lips hungrily, "I've just never had mind-blowing sex before we met. I guess I have to get used to it...if we're going to be a couple."

His eyes looked into Bazz-B's solemnly.

"You can trust me. I won't..."

"Stop," Bazz-B cautioned him, "You can't make that promise. No one can."

"Bazz-B..."

"All it takes is a maniac like Ywach and nobody's promises mean anything..."

Renji wrapped his arms around the troubled quincy, holding him tightly.

"I'm still gonna promise you, you can count on me. You can trust me."

"You?" Bazz mused, shaking his head, "A shinigami? And me a quincy?"

"That shit doesn't matter," Renji insisted, "Now, we're lovers."

"You think you love me?" Bazz-B asked, looking surprised.

"Yeah, I do," Renji said, nuzzling under his chin as the quincy huffed in amusement.

"You're dreaming, Red," he said almost longingly, "and you know what? You're making me want to be dreaming that too."


	5. Dreaming in the Haze

**Chapter 5: Dreams in the Haze**

**(Thanks going out to ShariBerry89 (Gotcha covered!), Wildwind13 (I'm loving them too. They sure have a lot of intensity, which is fun and exhausting to write.), Winterheart2000 (Here's a heapin' helpin'!), TehWonderer (More hot 'n steamy ahead!), Aizenfan6969 (Oh don't get me started on their kid. I think if I write a sequel, it could be about their little hothead offspring. Oh, and if it's a fireball girl child, those two won't know what to do! lol), Kamelcake (Of course! Here you go!), Featherfoot (Yay! He got a cover! But T-T he might be down fo the count!), Picklez80 (Here you go!), Jess0409 (I love their interactions. They're such hot and sexy fun!), Toshiro46 (Here's that update!), Dramamelon (Yes! I love the backstory and will be using that generously.), KennishaJames (I'm so glad you're enjoying this! It's really fun to write.), EzraTheBlue (Ah yes, drama will abound! There will be lots of fireworks really soon.), and Kyuumihaira (I think Renji's about to get a wake up call...) Enjoy the chapter! Love Spunky) **

Renji breathed in deeply, starting to come awake as a rooster crowed somewhere nearby. He suffered a moment of complete disorientation, opening his eyes and taking in the comfortable but plain room he was in, a single room dwelling containing a standard issue queen sized bed, tan and white bedding, a simple wooden table and chairs, a stove and oven, a white refrigerator, a small sink and, across the room, a sofa and a coffee table. In one corner, he spotted a dressing area and small partitioned off showering area.

"Shit!" he gasped, trying to sit up, only to find he was firmly trapped beneath Bazz-B's sprawled body with his thighs parted, and the quincy still joined with him.

_Fuck! How the hell did a day pass so fast?_ he wondered.

Bazz-B cracked open a sleepy eye and gave him a lazy smile.

"Mornin' Tiger," he purred, nuzzling under Renji's chin and nipping at his throat, "You get some sleep finally?"

_He's hard again!_

_...and...so am I._

"Y-yeah, more than I meant to," Renji managed, trying to pull free, but only entangling himself more tightly with the amorous quincy, "C-c'mon, I gotta go to work! Bazz!"

Bazz-B wiggled his hips and held Renji down, then teased him with several firm thrusts.

"Ah! Stop, damn it! I'm gonna be late! I-I'm gonna...!"

Sweat broke out on their foreheads and Renji struggled to remember what he had been trying to say. Bazz-B continued his wanton movements, which gradually grew more insistent until Renji was panting and moving helplessly with him.

"F-forget it, you win!" he spat.

"That's more like it, Red," Bazz-B said in a huskier voice, plunging his tongue into Renji's mouth and thrusting harder and faster. Renji's body reared up against his, writhing hotly and making Bazz growl with delight. He turned suddenly and flipped Renji onto his belly, then mounted him from behind and continued his hard, wild thrusting, panting hard and groaning almost deliriously as he approached orgasm. Renji clenched at the bedding, loosing unholy noises that traveled in Bazz-B's ears, then straight to his hungry loins. A final bout of urgent thrusting sent the two off and into a lovely oblivion. They collapsed onto the bed, grunting and still panting harshly. Bazz-B slapped Renji playfully on his sweaty bottom.

"Sorry, you were saying something about having to go to work?" he huffed, grinning widely.

"I can't go to work like this!" Renji whimpered, struggling to get up, only to be pulled down again and his mouth busied with penetrating kisses.

"Naw," Bazz agreed, "You should really get dressed first. You start walking around naked like that and..."

"Ugh, where's my uniform?" Renji complained, digging through the tangled bedding.

He retrieved the rumpled pieces and ducked another attempt at a kiss. Bazz-B sighed and sat up, running his fingers through his thick mohawk.

"Damn, I don't want you to go."

Renji felt a helpless grin crawl onto his face and he turned suddenly and tackled his flirtatious lover. The two rolled around on the bed, kissing and biting at each other's lips and throats until Bazz's eyes began to turn predatory again and Renji gently shoved him away.

"I really have to go or my captain's going to have people out searching for me," Renji said regretfully, "But hey, after work, I can pick up some dinner and come back. What do you say?"

Bazz-B grinned approvingly and grabbed a pen and small tablet of paper.

"Tell you what. I'll give you a list of stuff to bring and we can cook our own dinner. How's that?"

"I don't know," Renji said, smirking, "Do high born quincies know how to cook?"

"Oh man, you are so asking for it!" Bazz giggled, dropping the pen and paper and tackling him.

The two came down hard on the bed and surrendered to a final frenzied joining. While Bazz-B laid sprawled and half asleep, Renji scrambled out of bed and hastily showered before dressing and hurrying out of the little cottage. He ran down the trail and back to the entrance of the facility. The warden smiled briefly and motioned for the guards to open the way for him, then he shook his head as he watched the red-haired vice captain flash step away.

"Thank you for visiting. We hope you've enjoyed your stay," he sighed sarcastically under his breath, "Be sure to come back and ride again soon. Damn, the things I see? I could write a best seller."

Renji hurried back to his apartment, where he pelted up the stairs to the second floor and set a speed record for finding a clean, pressed uniform and wrangling himself into it. He left the apartment at a run and hurried to the sixth, arriving barely on time and out of breath. Pushing the door open, he panted out a quick greeting to Byakuya and disappeared down the hallway to make his captain's morning tea. A few minutes later, he returned with the hot tea, delivering it to Byakuya, then starting towards his own desk.

"A moment, Renji," Byakuya said quietly.

"Uh, yeah captain?" the redhead said, finally pausing.

"Have a seat, Abarai," Byakuya said, motioning to the chair beside his desk.

_Aw crap, I guess I was a few minutes late...or is it something else? I wonder if word got back to him about where I was last night. I mean, it's not against the rules, but maybe he's concerned about what other people will think._

"Sure," he answered, dropping into the chair and sipping at his own tea, "What's up, Captain?"

"I just wished to check in with you about the quincy prisoner you went to observe yesterday. What can you tell me about his situation? Is he being housed comfortably? He is not being mistreated?"

"Oh, no," Renji said, relief leaking into his words, "Bazz-B, eh, _Officer_ Bazz-B has one of the better cottages and no one's giving him a hard time or anything. He told me that the guards don't bother him and he has pretty much what he needs there. It's a little boring for him, being locked up, but he's aware things could be a lot worse for him, so he appreciates what he has."

"Very well," Byakuya said, returning his eyes to the reports in front of him, "And what is your condition today?"

"Huh?" Renji mused blankly, "My...condition?"

Byakuya looked up at him.

"How are you feeling today, Abarai?" he said patiently, "You've been feeling poorly for a few days, and we agreed that..."

"Oh yeah," Renji chuckled, coloring slightly, "I'm much better today. Actually, I woke up feeling great this morning. I'm fine, really Captain."

"You're not just telling me that to avoid going to the fourth division?" Byakuya asked, arching an eyebrow.

"No sir. I'm fit as a fiddle now," Renji assured him, "Never better."

"That is good," the noble said approvingly, "I will leave you to your work then."

"Right," Renji said, rising and walking back to his desk.

He sat down and set his tea on the desk, sighing resignedly at the sight of the tall stack of reports in his inbox. He worked his way through them slowly, his mind wandering back to the night before.

_I don't even remember how many times we did it. Fuck, it seemed like we couldn't get enough. Bazz is kinda rough in bed, but it feels damned good being loved like that...like even if he ate me alive it wouldn't be enough. I just wish he didn't have to be locked up like that._

A helpless smile overtook his lips.

_We'd get into so damned much trouble together. I mean, Ikkaku and Yumichika are a hell of a lot of fun, but there's something about Bazz that's so extreme. I'm still a little worried about what people will think, but there's no way I'm gonna leave him._

_I think I'm in love with him._

_Yeah, definitely in love..._

"Renji?"

Renji blinked and looked up at Byakuya, who had somehow left his desk and was standing in front of Renji's.

"Uh, sorry Captain, what was that?" he asked, blushing.

"I am leaving for the captains' meeting. When Tetsuya arrives, give him the file on my desk. It is the final guest list for the wedding."

"Oh, right. Sorry, I'll do that," Renji stammered.

"Are you sure you're all right, Renji?" Byakuya asked, frowning, "You seem very distracted."

"I'm fine," Renji chuckled good-naturedly, shifting the papers in his hands, "just buried in paperwork."

"Hmm, well, don't get so mired in it that you forget to train. I will be out, so if you could train with Rikichi, who is up for another promotion..."

"No problem, Captain. I'm on it."

He turned his attention back to his work as Byakuya took his leave. As much as he meant to get to his training, the huge stack of reports and requests took all morning to sort out, and before he quite realized it had gotten so late, the door to the office opened and Tetsuya arrived.

"Hello, Renji," Tetsuya greeted him.

Renji paused, admiring the lovely blue and silver kimono his friend wore, matching blue fingerless gloves and a small ceramic clip in a braided length of his hair that ran down the left side of his comely face.

"Hey, you look awesome!" Renji said enthusiastically, "Is that new?"

"Yes," Tetsuya answered, flushing slightly, "We have our pre-marital meeting and dinner with the elders this afternoon, so Byakuya had the new kimono made for that, and he gave me this," he said, indicating the clip in his hair, "as an early wedding gift. It was the first gift that his father gave to his mother."

Renji stood and examined the small clip that was pale blue in color with a dainty hand painted cherry blossom on the front.

"Sweet," Renji said approvingly, "You look really great. How are you feeling?"

"Oh, I feel much better, now that I'm through the worst of the morning sickness. And Byakuya infuses me with balancing reiatsu that keeps me from having so many dizzy spells."

Tetsuya gave him a cautious smile.

"How are you doing?" he asked, "Are you feeling better today?"

"Yeah," Renji assured him, "Must've just been a flu bug or something. I feel great today."

Tetsuya considered his words carefully, then continued.

"I am glad you're okay. But there is something that I need to talk to you about...something I was informed of because of my position in house security. I don't involve myself in gossip."

"I know that," Renji said, frowning, "Go on."

"You know that Central 46 monitors prisoners carefully, all of the ones in the prison and in the Maggot's Nest. They also send notifications regarding persons that may pose a threat of some kind."

"Ah, I see where this is going," Renji said anxiously, "You know I spent the night with Bazz-B."

"Yes," Tetsuya confirmed, "There is...nothing wrong with you doing so, legally. I just wanted to warn you that the report given to me suggested that Officer Bazz-B could try to use the relationship he is building with you to escape from his incarceration."

"Oh, I would never..."

"I know," Tetsuya assured him. I wouldn't believe for a moment that you would ever do that, or that you would be taken in that way. Also, the time that I saw you and Officer Bazz-B kissing, it was extremely clear that he was feeling very real emotions for you. My concern is that I wanted you to know that other people will learn of your relationship now, and they may judge you for it."

"Right," Renji said sadly, "I know you're right. But..."

"You are in love with him," Tetsuya supplied, "You are just trying to find what happiness you can in that. I'm not saying that you should give him up. I am just warning my friend to be very careful."

Renji sighed and surprised Tetsuya with a warm, firm embrace.

"I'll be careful," he promised, "Thanks, Tetsuya."

The two parted as the door opened to admit Byakuya, who gave them a curious look, then moved forward to offer his fiancé a kiss of greeting.

"Good afternoon, Tetsuya. You and Renji look somewhat serious. Is something wrong?"

Tetsuya exchanged glances with Renji and said nothing. Renji gathered himself and stepped forward.

"We were talking about me, sir," he offered, steeling himself, "I guess I should just...tell you. You're going to hear anyway. I'm seeing Officer Bazz-B...romantically."

"I am aware of that," Byakuya answered, looking unsurprised, though decidedly concerned.

"You are?" Renji asked worriedly, "Look...I..."

"You are conducting that relationship within the parameters of the law..._mostly_, and it is a private relationship. As long as it does not impact your ability to act in your position here, I don't need to be involved."

"But, how did you...?"

"Central 46 security briefs are sent to all captains. We discussed this in the meeting this morning and I assured the other captains, as well as the captain commander that you are perfectly capable of conducting this private relationship without allowing your romantic partner a chance to escape. Some of the captains suggested that your defense of Rukia showed that you would violate the law in defense of your friend..."

"Oh man!" Renji said anxiously.

"At which point I reminded them that you were responding to clues, chinks in the armor of Aizen's plans that we could have seen if we had not been so complacent."

Renji's eyes widened.

"You told them that?" he asked wonderingly.

"Yes," Byakuya said, an edge of anger in his voice, "I think we need to learn from our mistakes unless we want to just repeat them. In any case, do not worry about what anyone else thinks. You are not doing anything wrong...except for misusing the holding cell...for which you will serve a week at the outpost in Hueco Mundo."

"On the most boring watch in Soul Society," Renji said ruefully, "Yeah, I know I deserve it. Sorry Captain."

"You deserve worse," Byakuya said sternly, "but my impending nuptials appear to have made me unexpectedly giddy."

He slipped a hand into Tetsuya's and led him towards the captain's quarters. Renji huffed out a soft laugh and started back to his desk. As he moved, a flash of pain in his belly made him stop and catch his breath sharply. He shut his eyes tightly for a moment and felt his head go into an odd spin.

"Renji?" Byakuya's voice sounded in distorted echoes and he found he couldn't answer.

Unable to make a sound, he swayed as blackness closed in around him. He heard Tetsuya call out his name frantically, then a loud crash that left him completely senseless.

Cognizance returned slowly, beginning with garbled voices and tiny flickers of light, then evolved into a pounding headache and a feeling of almost unbearable nausea. He grunted out a warning to whoever was with him and leaned over the edge of the bed he laid in, emptying his stomach violently. He felt someone's arms holding him and someone cleaning his face with a cool, wet cloth, then he was laid down again. His ears rang loudly and he still felt too dizzy and sick to move. But he managed to force his eyes open and he blinked in surprise at where he found himself.

"I-is this Kuchiki Manor?" he croaked out.

"Yes," Tetsuya's voice answered, "When you lost consciousness, I pointed out that it was closer than the fourth division. Byakuya and I thought you would appreciate waking in a guest room, rather than a hospital room."

"Th-thanks," Renji said thickly, "but what the hell happened? How long have I been here? I've got a date with Bazz..."

"You've been here since yesterday. A hell butterfly did come from your quincy friend, and I thought you wouldn't mind if I informed him you were ill, but all right."

"Oh," Renji said, sitting up slowly and looking around the finely decorated guest room, "Thanks a lot. He was probably worried when I didn't show up."

"I think there may a bigger problem," Tetsuya said, looking back towards the inner bedroom doorway, then out through the garden doors.

"There is?" Renji said, looking alarmed, "Did the healer find something?"

"He did," Tetsuya confirmed.

"Wh-what is it? Is it bad?" Renji asked, paling, "What's wrong with me?"

The two looked up as Byakuya entered the room alongside an older, gentle-eyed shinigami Renji remembered from having visited the manor before.

"Ah, good to see you awake, Master Renji," the healer said kindly, "Tell me, how are you feeling?"

"Eh, better, I guess," Renji answered uncertainly, "but Tetsuya said you found something when you examined me. What is it? What did you find?"

"Well, your reiatsu was extremely low and your blood was lacking in some nutrients, so I gave you several infusions of reiatsu and a few nutrient injections while you were sleeping."

"That doesn't sound so bad," Renji ventured.

"I examined your spirit centers and found a...sort of growth near your spirit core."

"A growth!" Renji exclaimed, "Like a tumor? Michio..."

"No, no my boy! It's not a tumor. I know that for a fact."

"Oh my kami, what a relief!" Renji sighed, "But if it's not a tumor, then what is it?"

"You, um, have a romantic partner?" Michio asked carefully.

"W-well, yeah," Renji admitted, "We just started _seeing _each other. Why? Is what I have contagious?"

"No, it is not contagious," the healer assured him, "And it will resolve itself in about nine months."

"Nine months," Renji mused worriedly, "That's a long time. Will I get very sick? Do I have to be in the hospital?"

"No, you may have more fainting spells and nausea, that type of thing, but...in about nine months, all of that will go away...when your child is born."

"Ah, it will go away," Renji repeated, looking relieved.

He paused and frowned.

"When my what?" he asked, looking confused.

"When your child is born," Michio said, smiling, "The growth inside you is a spirit chamber that is holding your growing child, Master Renji."

Renji stared at him wordlessly, not knowing whether to blush or go pale. Byakuya laid a hand on Michio's arm.

"I think Renji is a bit shocked," he said calmly, "Tetsuya and I will be happy to speak with him about his condition."

"Very well," Michio said, bowing, "Congratulations, Master Abarai."

Renji watched, still unable to answer, as the healer left the room. Byakuya turned and faced his stunned subordinate.

"Renji, are you all right?"

"I...I don't know," Renji said breathlessly, "That guy said I'm knocked up. I don't feel all right. I feel pretty dizzy."

"It's a lot to take in," Tetsuya said, sitting down on the edge of the bed, "I mean, you can't have been expecting it, because you only just learned about noble male pregnancy, and your partner isn't a shinigami."

"Not to ask an indelicate question," Byakuya added, "but you have not had any other sexual partners recently?"

"No," Renji said, blushing brightly, "Just Bazz. You mean...he did this? Do you think he knows he could? I mean, he didn't tell me. He even commented that we were guys and couldn't have babies. Captain, am I going to be in trouble? Is Bazz?"

"That is a difficult question to answer," Byakuya said in a troubled tone, "Officer Bazz-B is an enemy soldier, and even though we acted favorably towards each other in the end, he is still considered an enemy combatant. The rules say that enemies in the Central 46 prison are not allowed procreative rights. The rules are more hazy for those in the Maggot's Nest and are usually decided by a special panel. If they agree that Bazz-B is not dangerous, then they can allow the birth, but if they feel that having the child would cause Officer Bazz-B to be motivated to act out, then they could order the pregnancy terminated."

Renji's face went sickly white.

"Taichou...you mean they might want to kill my baby?" he asked, barely able to force the words out.

"Yes," Byakuya confirmed softly, "You know that Central 46 is aware of your relationship with the quincy officer. When it becomes known that you are with child, it won't be long before they call you in and question you."

"I can't do that," Renji whispered in a shocked voice, "I can't let them..."

"Byakuya gave you some time by having you brought here," Tetsuya explained, "but even though we aren't going to reveal what we know to anyone, it won't be long before your condition becomes known."

"You must be extremely careful," Byakuya warned him, "Renji, as soon as they have reason to suspect, Central 46 will order you to appear before them. They may decide in your favor, or they may not. I will do what I can as a clan leader, and I will come to testify on your behalf, but...there are no guarantees."

Renji stared down at his shaking hands where they clutched at the bedding.

"What am I gonna do?" he whispered in a lost tone.

"You are going to rest and eat so that you will feel well enough to consider your options," Byakuya said sternly, "And I hope that you will trust Tetsuya, Rukia and me. I promise you, Renji, we will do all we can to help you."

"Thanks Captain, I know you will."

Renji continued to stare sightlessly down at his hands as Byakuya exited the room. Tetsuya remained at his side, watching him with sad eyes.

"Hey," Renji said, looking up at him, "thanks, Tetsuya."

"For what?" Tetsuya asked, "I haven't done anything."

"You've been a good friend," Renji said, looking out the garden doors, "You were the one who suggested to Byakuya that he should have me brought here, weren't you?"

"Yes."

"Did you guess?"

"I suspected," Tetsuya admitted, "I didn't know what to do. I was worried about you and what Central 46 would do. I still am very worried. I don't want anything bad to happen to you and your baby."

"I think Bazz needs to know about this," Renji said, shaking his head, "but I'm sure that they've got that whole place wired up good. Even if I whisper it, they're gonna know."

Tetsuya paused for a moment, biting gently at his lip.

"I may be able to help you," he offered.

He reached into his kimono and removed a pendant on a silver chain, then offered it to Renji.

"What is this?" Renji asked.

"It is a charm I use. It invokes a special waterform that can be used for privacy, but without anyone knowing. The guards will see a reflection of you two doing normal things and will only hear normal conversation, but you will be enclosed in a private area and able to speak. Just...Renji, be careful. You...know exactly what Central 46 will be worried about."

"Yeah. They think it will make Bazz want to get out...maybe even try to get out."

"Do you know if he will try to escape?"

"I don't know," Renji confessed, "but I think he needs to know."

"At very least, he needs to give you regular infusions. You can use that charm for those times, and anytime you want privacy. Only...please promise me that...you will not use my power to help him escape."

"I promise," Renji said easily, "I would never implicate you like that."

"I'm sorry. I know it seems selfish, but..."

"Hey," Renji said, catching Tetsuya's hand in his, "You've suffered enough in the past because of those bastards. I won't do anything that endangers you."

"Thank you, Renji," Tetsuya said, squeezing his hand.

"Thank you," Renji said, sliding out of the bed.

"Where are you going?" Tetsuya objected, "You are supposed to be resting and eating!"

"I will. I promise. But I have to tell Bazz. I have to tell him now."

"Are you sure that's wise?" Tetsuya asked softly.

"No, but it's what I have to do."

"Then...please have Arashi take you there. He will protect you if there is trouble."

"Yeah," Renji chuckled, "and he'll tease the hell outta me whether there is or not."

"Probably," Tetsuya agreed, brightening, "But he won't let anything happen to you."

Renji sighed resignedly.

"I don't think anyone's going to be able to protect me if Central 46 gets involved. Whatever happens, we have to keep them out of this..."


	6. Little Secrets

**Chapter 6: Little Secrets**

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**(Hey, September is coming to a close, and that means I am going to shift the focus to finishing stories. I have placed a list of active stories on my profile, and have also listed chapters that people have requested, that I will be trying to work in. If you want to make a request while my PMs are down, log out and review the story you want as a guest to make the request. I will add it to the request list. Take care all and happy reading!)**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

"Good afternoon, Vice Captain Abarai," the Maggot's Nest guard on duty greeted him in a formal, polite tone, "You are cleared to enter."

"Thanks," Renji said, proceeding through the entrance checkpoint, past the gates and into the detainment facility.

He followed the trail to the right that led up into the trees and found Bazz-B resting quietly in the thick branches, perched near the entrance to his cottage. He broke into a smile upon spotting Renji, then dropped down in front of him and greeted him with a long, penetrating kiss.

"I missed you, Red. I was kinda worried when you didn't show up. Before your friend's hell butterfly got here, I wondered if you got in trouble because we spent the night together or something."

"N-no, nothing like that," Renji said, looking around anxiously, "Can we go inside?"

"Sure, come on in," Bazz invited him, stepping back to let him pass through the doorway first.

Renji paused inside the cottage and watched as Bazz-B closed the front door. Then, while the quincy was in the midst of turning around, he activated the charm Tetsuya had given him. Bazz-B made a sound of surprise, but then remained silent, seeing the look of warning Renji gave him. As Tetsuya's power wrapped around them, Renji sighed and dropped onto the sofa. Bazz-B studied him closely for a moment, before joining him.

"What's this all about? What's going on?" Bazz-B asked, frowning, "What was that power I felt you use?"

"I got the charm from a friend," Renji explained his hand sliding down to gently rub his belly as he looked up at the quincy, "I need to talk to you privately, and there aren't many ways to do that when you're being held in here."

"Yeah, I know they watch us and listen to our conversations. What's wrong? Is someone giving you a hard time about sleeping with the enemy?"

"Not yet," Renji assured him, "but there is something that's happened that you need to know about. And we have to keep it a secret, because if Central 46 finds out, they might...do something that I really don't want them to do."

He paused, a discomfited look rising on his face as he rubbed his belly harder.

"You still look a little sick," Bazz-B observed, "Are you okay, Red?"

"Y-yeah, I'm fine," Renji said gamely, "but I need to get this out. You just...you have to promise that you won't talk about it to anyone, not even to me, when we're not in this protective waterform. It's not safe for anyone to know."

"What's not safe for people to know?" Bazz-B asked, eyeing him more closely, "Red, what's going on?"

Renji took a steadying breath, then caught his breath in dismay and grabbed a nearby trash bin. He bent over it and retched several times as Bazz-B watched with increasing concern.

"Hey, you really don't look very good," he said more stridently, "But you say you're not sick? You look sick to me."

"I'm not sick," Renji explained, "What's happening is normal for someone with my condition."

"What condition is that?"

Renji took a few more slow, deep breaths, then forced the words out.

"I'm...I'm pregnant, Bazz."

For a moment, the quincy looked back at him blankly, trying to process the words.

"Y-you're...?"

"Pregnant," Renji repeated, "and before you ask, it's yours."

Bazz-B's expression morphed from curiosity to complete confusion.

"But...I mean, I'm not a shinigami. I mean, you told me some noble shinigamis can have kids, but..."

"But I had no idea when I told you that, that a noble quincy could do that to a shinigami!" Renji said, looking dismayed, "Look, it's not that it doesn't make me happy. I love that we could have a kid together, but if Central 46..."

"You do?" Bazz-B interrupted him, his eyes widening and his face taking on an expression of pleasant surprise, "You want to have a kid with me for real?"

"Ah..." Renji panted anxiously, "well, it would be better if you weren't stuck in here, and if it wouldn't make Central 46 go nuts, but yeah...of course. I'm head over heels in love with you. I uh...thought that um..."

He paused awkwardly, a nervous flush spreading across his face and his heart pounding.

"Oh man," he managed, bending forward and burying his face in his hands, "Fuck, I feel stupid!"

"Why?" Bazz asked, hauling the brightly flushed redhead in for a kiss.

"Why?" Renji repeated blankly, "I...?"

"I'm crazy about you. You know that," Bazz-B laughed, ruffling Renji's ponytail affectionately.

"You...?" Renji stammered, still looking hopelessly confused.

"I love you, stupid!" Bazz-B exclaimed, pushing him down and busying his stuttering mouth with hard, hungry kisses, "I love every hot, striped fucking inch of you! You couldn't tell from the way I can't help screwing the daylights out of you every time I see you? What the hell?"

"Eh, I knew...ah...you were attracted to me," Renji stammered between rough, penetrating kisses, "K-kinda obvious we can't keep our hands off each other. But that doesn't always mean that..."

Renji froze, staring up into Bazz-B's suddenly serious expression. For several long, breathless moments, he just held Renji down, glaring into his eyes meaningfully. Then he sat back, running the fingers of one hand through the bright strands of his mohawk.

"We're not trusting fools, are we?" he said more quietly, keeping his green eyes lowered and his head slightly bowed, "You grew up in the low Rukon and you knew better than to trust just anyone. I wasn't like that. When I was a kid, our family was rich and my dad pretty much ran the village we lived in. We were like your nobles. People looked up to us and we were expected to be proud and strong...to protect them. That was the job of the noble quincy families."

Renji sat up straighter, capturing Bazz-B's hands in his.

"You weren't much different than the shinigami nobles," he observed, "except that the shinigami nobles in most cases, didn't involve themselves directly in our lives. They lived separately and focused more on keeping order, though they did step in and protect the civilians in extreme cases."

"When Ywach first became king, he didn't seem interested in the quincy villages or the noble families. He sort of let the noble families keep order, while he was gathering power and growing in strength. People flocked to him because he seemed able to give them what they needed in their lives. If someone was sick and they were allowed a piece of his soul, they were cured. If someone was hurt, a piece of his soul could heal them. No one paid attention to what happened after the miracle. There were always new miracles happening to distract them."

"And what happened to the people he healed?" Renji asked, dark suspicion in his tone.

"They died," Bazz-B answered matter-of-factly, "None of them lived very long after receiving a piece of his soul. One way or another, they died, and when they did, the piece of his soul he gave them was imprinted with all of their knowledge and abilities. The piece of soul returned to Ywach and every time it happened, he grew stronger."

"Kami," Renji mused, "he was feeding on his own people?"

"Yeah," Bazz-B confirmed softly, "But pretty soon, he must have gotten strong enough, and he realized that there was an even better source of food for him."

Renji's eyes widened.

"D-do you mean, the noble quincy families?" he asked in a horrified tone.

"Uh-huh. Ywach gathered together an army, and he marched across our lands, attacking villages and slaughtering the noble lords who protected them. He spread bits of his soul around, so that every soul he took, became a part of him and made him stronger. He single-handedly destroyed the quincy noble families."

"What the hell?" Renji said, looking dismayed, "Noble families, at least the shinigami ones, are the ones who carry the most power in their bloodlines."

"It's the same with us quincies," Bazz-B affirmed.

"But why would Ywach just destroy the most powerful quincy families himself?" Renji objected, "Wouldn't he want to protect the power in those families and use it when he came after us?"

Bazz-B let out a disgusted breath.

"He figured out that he didn't have to protect the quincy noble families. All he had to do was to steal the power for himself. Then...when he wanted strong followers to fight for him, he could grant powers to anyone he felt was worthy. I was one of those idiots, working my ass off to get accepted into the Sternritters. I had this great plan, see. I was going to impress the hell outta Ywach and fight for him to get on his good side. Then, when I gained his trust, I was going to kill that fucker! I was going to make him pay for wiping out my family. Everything he took from me, I was going to avenge. Only, I never got the chance, because when he powered up the elites, he took back the power that he had given me. He sucked it out of me like I meant nothing. You know how it was, Red. You were there when it happened."

"Yeah," Renji sighed, "I remember. I'm really sorry, Bazz. I mean, say what you want about our soul king and noble families, but at least the king kept the balance in our worlds and wasn't eating our souls when we died. Damn!"

"That isn't all that bastard did to me. You remember what I told you about Jugo?"

"Eh, Blondie, the slasher?" Renji huffed, "Yeah."

"Well, what I didn't tell you was that before Ywach recruited him, Jugo was my best friend, and we were both planning to train up and kill that bastard. Jugo was hopeless in most skills, but he trained hard to be good with a sword so that he wouldn't be a burden. Not that I ever considered him one. He was a good person...at least back then. But after five years of training, Ywach showed up, took one look at Jugo and called him his 'other half.' He took Jugo away, and my best friend turned into the bastard that ended up almost killing me. I wanted so bad to hurt Ywach in a thousand fucking ways, but I never had a chance to do anything. I was powerless...useless...worthless in the end. I guess being noble isn't everything."

"Shit, Bazz, I'm really, really sorry."

"Why? None of it's your fault, and I can't blame the shinigamis for that one. It was all Ywach."

Bazz-B loosed a heavy sigh and leaned forward into Renji's tight embrace.

"At least the bastard's dead," he said sullenly, "I do kinda wish Jugo had survived. I don't know, maybe we coulda worked things out once he was thinking straight. I don't know. Not that I would've wanted to get close to him again. I just..."

"You want closure," Renji finished.

"Yeah."

He turned his head and met Renji's lips for a long, open-mouthed kiss.

"But I'll take this, Red. You, me..."

He slid a hand down Renji's torso and rubbed his slim belly gently.

"...and our kid."

He grinned down at the area his hand was rubbing.

"You do know you're from a noble family, right sprout?" he said with mock sternness, "The Black family is a well respected quincy family, and you'll need to grow up strong and proud, so no one will forget the strength behind our name."

He paused and smiled at Renji.

"My dad used to say shit like that to me all of the time," he mused, "I took it all real seriously, dressing up in impressive battle gear, training hard, looking tough."

Renji felt a sympathetic twinge inside at the lost look that invaded the imprisoned quincy's green eyes for a moment. Bazz-B swallowed hard and continued.

"Look at what's left of the proud Black family now," he breathed out painfully, "just this little sprout and his jailbird dad. That's all that's left of our bloodline."

He took Renji's face in his hands and kissed him hungrily.

"We're lucky our kid will have you to teach him the things I can't. Thanks for coming here and telling me, Red. But you know, you have to be careful now. You shouldn't stay for too long or do anything that will make anyone suspect. I can't do a goddamned thing to protect the two of you and I'd go batshit crazy if anything happened to you."

"It's going to be okay," Renji assured him, "I have some powerful friends helping me."

"The half-blood noble who saw us kissing?" Bazz-B deduced.

"His name is Tetsuya Kuchiki, and he's about to marry my captain, the head of the Kuchiki clan."

"A guy?" Bazz-B asked, frowning, "Ah, but you said that noble guys can have kids."

"Yeah, it's Tetsuya who realized I was knocked up, and he protected me. My captain too."

"Your captain?" Bazz-B repeated, "A captain is protecting us?"

"We're close," Renji explained, "He can't fix everything for us, but he and Tetsuya are doing all they can. Captain Kuchiki just warned me to be really careful that Central 46 doesn't find out, and Tetsuya gave me the charm I'm using so that you can give me the infusions that our baby needs to grow."

"Right, I almost forgot about that," Bazz-B said, looking down at his hands, "So, what do I do?"

"Just uh, sit behind me and wrap your arms around me," Renji directed him, turning so that his back rested against the quincy's muscular chest, "Put your hands on my belly and very slowly let your reiatsu spill into the area around the chamber the baby's reiatsu is growing in."

He waited as Bazz-B positioned himself.

"Do you feel the reiatsu in the chamber?" Renji asked.

"Yeah," Bazz-B answered, a helpless smile taking over his face, "I feel it, right there!"

"Keep the infusion slow," Renji reminded him, "Your reiatsu will make mine and the kid's balance, and then I won't have so much morning sickness and fainting spells."

"Aww, but you're cute bent over a trash can and puking," Bazz-B said, nipping at the side of Renji's neck, then moving to avoid the redhead's swatting hand, "and I don't mind catching you when you pass out. I'll do that anytime."

He moved his lips close to Renji's ear.

"Of course, I might do some pretty nasty things to you while you're out cold," he snickered.

"Asshole!" Renji laughed, blushing brightly, "Stop that. You're making me hard. And I shouldn't stay for too long. You said it yourself. We have to be careful."

"Okay," Bazz-B agreed, "But I'm sorry. This infusion thing is really messing with me. I feel like my dick is getting heavier. See, I'm sweating all over too. How about you? Is this turning you on?"

He slid a hand down and teased Renji's swollen and reactive privates.

"Damn, you are hard too!" he laughed, "Did that friend of yours tell you this would happen?"

"No," Renji said in a flustered tone, "but we didn't have a lot of time to talk. We have to be cautious about stuff like that."

"Well, we'd better do something, because even though you seem balanced now, I'm going to be teetering forward and falling over if we don't make this thing go away before you leave."

"I'd tell you that you were full of shit," Renji said, blushing more fiercely, "but I'm feeling it too."

Bazz-B grinned widely and pushed Renji down on his back.

"I guess there's nothing we can do, but to have sex now. Don't worry, I'll be quick."

"Bazz!"

Renji gasped as Bazz-B's insistent hands moved their clothing out of the way and the quincy worked his way inside the redhead's aroused body. Renji groaned and spread his thighs wide, panting heatedly as Bazz-B abandoned caution and started to move immediately.

"Oh! Oh gods!" Renji moaned, "B-bazz!"

"I've got you!" Bazz-B panted, thrusting harder, "Take what you need, Red!"

Renji writhed mindlessly beneath him, reeling with every hard, fast undulation.

"Ah! Ah...oh fuck!" he gasped heatedly.

The two climaxed together, moaning loudly and exchanging hard, biting kisses that left their lips reddened and stinging. They turned suddenly and crashed down onto the floor, where they were forcibly separated from each other and left panting dazedly and laughing breathlessly.

"Blazes, Red, you're fucking amazing!" Bazz-B groaned, leaving his legs spread wide and his ample privates scandalously exposed.

"I think some of that's the resonance because of the baby," Renji surmised.

He paused, thinking for a moment, then flushed darkly and giggled uncontrollably.

"What?" Bazz-B mused, "What's so funny?"

"Ah, heh..." Renji laughed, struggling to regain control, "S-sorry! I just...I was just wondering if it was like this for Tetsuya and Captain. And then I thought of my captain doing...uh...you know..."

"You mean banging the hell out of that cute little half-blood lover of his?" Bazz-B chuckled, "I'd pay to see that."

"Shut up!" Renji snapped, swatting at him playfully, "Don't be acting like you're interested in other guys. _I'm_ the one toting around your fucking kid, you know!"

"Don't worry," Bazz-B said, turning and snuggling into Renji's arms, "I was just teasing you. You don't have to worry about me screwing around. I could never love anyone else after what you've done for me. I love you, Red."

Renji let out a long sigh, pushing away for a moment, all of his worries and sinking more deeply into Bazz-B's embrace.

"I love you too, Bazz."


	7. Lines

**Chapter 7: Lines**

**(Only have like a second to publish, but will catch up with shout outs on the next. Thanks to everyone reading and reviewing! Have a great day. Love, Spunky)**

Renji sat quietly at his desk, trying to focus on the report in his hand, but his mind wandering constantly back to earlier in the morning, waking where he had fallen asleep the night before, naked and wrapped tightly in Bazz-B's arms. He paused and rubbed his hands over his face, then stole a glance down at his belly and smiled at the small bump that was carefully concealed in the folds of his uniform. He felt again the pleasant caress of his quincy lover's hand touching the place under which their baby grew, and he felt the warmth of Bazz-B's smile and warm laugh as he infused the area with stabilizing reiatsu, then dragged Renji down into a long and heated sexual joining.

"Abarai, do you have the report from the team we sent to investigate the area of Hueco Mundo where a quincy remnant group was said to be gathering?" Byakuya asked, jolting him out of his reverie and returning him forcefully to the quiet sixth division office.

"Yeah, sorry Captain," he apologized, a blush rising on his cheeks, "I have it right here."

He fished the requested report out of his inbox and carried it to Byakuya's desk, where he slid into a chair and scanned the report for a moment.

"Fifth Seat Rikichi sent the report back from the site. He said they found signs of a mobile camp of some kind. Reiatsu in the area is inconclusive..."

"But we know that the quincies are capable of confusing or distorting the reiatsu to cover their movements."

"Right," Renji agreed, frowning and running his fingers through the long strands of his red ponytail, "Rikichi had the same impression. He and his group found some traces leading out of the area and started to follow them, but halted when he found signs of a trap."

"The quincies know well that we will be vigilant about finding their remnant groups," Byakuya concluded.

"According to the zombie girl quincy," Renji continued, turning to the next page of the report, "the bulk of the survivors will have returned to the shadows. It's really the best move for them. We don't have a way in as of yet and the quincies we captured have insisted that they can't reveal how entry is accomplished because it would make their civilian population too vulnerable to attack. We are negotiating to be able to send a survey group in the company of one of the quincies to monitor what is going on in that place, but there's a lot disagreement to work out."

"That makes sense," Byakuya sighed, shaking his head, "Emotions are running high in the wake of the war. Many shinigamis died at the hands of the quincies, even the ones whom have surrendered and agreed to help us in exchange for leniency. It is a dangerous time for both our civilizations. We have to worry, not only about the possibility of more random attacks by our former enemies, but about reactive outbursts from our own populace."

"Right," Renji agreed, his hand sliding down to gently rub his hidden baby bump and his mind wandering back to the baby's incarcerated father.

He realized after several moments that Byakuya was studying him with an appraising expression.

"You are concerned for him," the noble posited, "and I think rightfully so."

"You do?" Renji said, giving Byakuya a surprised look.

"Yes," Byakuya said with certainty in his voice, "Tensions are running high. There have been some skirmishes, even between groups of our own people, disagreements over the choice to work with the captive quincies. We are learning a lot that we need to know about them, but the cost of that is that the mistrust that many of our people feel for them is growing. Renji, I am concerned for the safety of the two quincy officers in the Maggot's Nest."

"You are?" Renji said, giving him an alarmed look, "Have you heard something that makes you think someone will try to hurt them?"

"Not anything specific, no," Byakuya assured him, "But there are rumblings. I received a report of a few off duty guards getting into fights at a bar near the facility after hours. There have also been some altercations between groups of off duty officers from among the divisions, getting into fights that ran from simple shouting matches to fistfights. They were broken up quickly, but..."

"It's a sign of the tension," Renji concluded.

"Yes," Byakuya agreed, meeting his eyes meaningfully, "and I think it is a sign that perhaps you and I need to have a conversation about your personal safety, Renji."

"Yeah," Renji said, shifting uncomfortably in his chair as his stomach rumbled noisily.

Byakuya gave him an amused look and paused, allowing the redhead time to return to his desk to pick up a package of freshly made taiyaki he had left there. He opened the package and removed a piece, then munched on it absently as their conversation continued.

"Do you think it will really be a problem?" Renji asked, "I mean, yeah, everyone kinda knows I'm sleeping with Bazz-B. I've taken some crap from a few guys over it, but mostly the ones who have a problem with it just gripe about it behind my back because they can't really do anything about it. I mean, I'm a vice captain, so most of'em would have to be stupid to try anything and they know it."

"That is true," Byakuya agreed, "however, I am sure you understand that as your gestation continues, it is expected that you will experience power disruptions. You may lose your powers completely as you approach your due date. This makes it unwise to simply assume that we can be lax about your safety."

"I'll be careful," Renji assured him, "I'm using the charm Tetsuya gave me when I go to see Bazz, so we're protected pretty well then, and I can just stay here as opposed to my apartment if you're worried about that."

"That would be a good plan, but I was thinking that you should come and stay at Kuchiki Manor," Byakuya suggested.

Renji frowned and a flicker of concern went through his unsettled insides.

"You want me to come and stay with you?" he asked uncertainly, "You're that worried that something could happen?"

Byakuya hesitated, considering his words carefully.

"I don't wish to alarm you," he answered finally, "and perhaps nothing will happen. Most likely, nothing extreme will happen. But it has been my experience that prejudice can become dangerous very swiftly. And how it presents itself in a situation can vary. It's not something we can anticipate at this point, and I don't like to be caught unprepared. So, if you have no objection, I would like you to come and stay at the manor."

"Okay, yeah, thanks Captain," Renji said gratefully, "Not that I think anyone would really mess with me, but..."

"I also have an idea of how to offer Officer Bazz-B some protection as well."

"Oh?" Renji inquired curiously, "How are you going to do that?"

Byakuya gave him a rare, fleeting smile.

"With a creative turn of clan law," he said cryptically, "I will only resort to it if there is reason to believe it is absolutely necessary, but rest assured that if there is a credible threat to the father of your child, I will act on his behalf."

"Thank you, Captain," Renji said gratefully.

Byakuya nodded briefly and stood.

"I have a captain's meeting," he informed the redhead, "but afterwards, I will return here and we can walk home together."

"Sure," Renji agreed, rising and starting towards his desk.

He paused a moment later and flinched, making a sound of discomfort and rubbing his belly.

"Are you all right?" Byakuya asked, giving him a look of concern.

"Yeah, fine," Renji chuckled, "Just think I have to throw up again. Damn, I can't wait to get past this part."

He turned into the hallway and headed for his quarters, earning a look of sympathy from the noble. Byakuya started towards the front door of the office, his mind already turning to the agenda of the captain's meeting. But he stopped just short of it and turned back as he heard Renji make a exclamation of surprise and dismay. Byakuya flash stepped across the room and into the hallway, gaining Renji's side and staring at the scene of destruction in Renji's quarters.

Renji's clothes laid, torn apart and strewn haphazardly around the room. His bed and bedding had been slashed almost beyond recognition. Nothing within the room had been spared, but even the dresser and bed frame had been shattered. Thick red fluid spelled out a warning message on the wall.

_DIE QUINCY WHORE!_

"Holy hell," Renji whispered, going pale and clenching at his stomach, "is that blood, Captain?"

Byakuya stepped into the room, carefully avoiding touching anything and moving to the wall behind the destroyed bed. He held out a hand and touched the area with a flicker of his reiatsu.

"It is goat's blood," the noble concluded, looking back at Renji with a guarded expression.

Renji felt a icy jolt go through his shocked body and his stomach lurched warningly.

"Captain," he managed shakily, "do you think Bazz-B is in danger?"

Byakuya let out a steadying breath and closed his eyes for a moment.

"I think that most probably," he concluded.

"I should get over there..."

Renji broke off, clutching at his belly and running out of the room and down the hallway to the common bathroom. He dropped onto his knees and emptied his stomach violently, his head spinning and spots dancing in front of his eyes. He surged to his feet and staggered out of the bathroom, heading back towards the front office, only to find his way blocked by his captain.

"Sir, what are you doing? I have to get to Bazz-B! What if...?"

"Renji, I will send someone to check on Officer Bazz-B. You are in no condition to..."

"But I _have_ to go!" Renji argued, swaying as another bout of dizziness passed over him.

"Renji, you can't possibly..."

"I have to, Captain!"

Renji started to turn, then felt a gentle throb of kido surge into his body, dropping him into Byakuya's arms. He stared, wide-eyed up into Byakuya's regretful gaze as he began to lose consciousness.

"Captain!" he gasped.

"I am sorry Renji," Byakuya apologized, watching solemnly as the stunned redhead's eyes closed and his body went limp, "Under these circumstances, I cannot risk your safety. But I will take care of Officer Bazz-B. I will take you home and make sure you are under guard, then I will go and see to his safety personally."

XXXXXXXXXX

Bazz-B laid naked on his back in his bed, gazing up at the ceiling and smiling as his mind wandered back lazily to the same place it had gotten used to going whenever the boredom of his captivity began to invade. He imagined Abarai Renji, bared and stretched out on his belly on the bed, the lovely array of bold, black tattoos in full view and the long strands of autumn hair tumbled around his muscular shoulders, spilling over and trickling down onto the bed.

"Damn!" he whispered, closing his eyes to intensify the image, "I wish you were here, Red."

One seeking hand slid down his slender, white torso and began a warm stimulation as his mental image of Renji sharpened and began to come to life before his eyes.

"O-oh!" he moaned softly, imagining laying himself on the redhead's back and pulling his hair back to gain access to the black lines on the side of his neck. His already erect member twitchedas he imagined rubbing against Renji's soft, tattooed bottom, tilting his hips to angle himself and entering slowly.

"Mmmmmm...damn it Renji! I can't stop thinking about you," he whispered into the air.

A sudden knock on the door snapped Bazz-B back to alertness and he glanced hopefully at the door as he climbed to his feet and wrapped a warm robe around his naked body.

"That you, Red?" he called out, heading for the front door.

"Officer Bazz-B," a youthful male voice called back, "I am sorry to bother you, but you need to come quickly. Your comrade has been injured and we need advice on how to treat her injuries."

Bazz-B frowned and hurried to the door.

"Liltotto?" he mused as he opened the door.

He suffered a moment of shock as he was met with a huge fist heading menacingly towards his face. His teeth clenching, he reacted instantly, stepping aside and grabbing the marauding fist, then yanking the man off balance and throwing him to the ground.

"What the fuck?" he yelled as two more men lunged at him.

"Quincy murderer!" one of the men shouted, "We're gonna kill ya!"

"As if..." Bazz-B huffed in an annoyed tone, looking around for some sign of a guard as he tripped one of the men and slammed a fist down on the back of his head, then kicked the other in the stomach, dropping him onto his knees, "Where the hell is a guard when you want one?"

He looked up and ducked swiftly, just avoiding another attacker swinging down from a tree branch.

"Seriously..."

A loud ringing sounded and Bazz-B nodded in approval, elbowing a last attacker in the face and watching the blood explode from his nose as a group of guards ran up the trail, heading for them.

"It's about fucking time!" he complained as the guards closed in on them, "These bastards..."

"Lie down on the ground!" one of the guards shouted at him, "Don't move!"

"Wha...? Fuck, _really_?" Bazz-B complained, sighing in annoyance as he began to comply, "They came and attacked me, fool!"

He had almost laid down, when he felt a hard impact in his side and his body crashed into, then through the door of his cottage.

"What the fucking hell are you guys doing?" he gasped, "I was getting down! Stop!"

He put up his hands and backed away as six guards surrounded him and another blocked the door.

"What the hell is going on here?" Bazz-B demanded, backing up against the far wall of the cottage, "I obeyed your order. What do you think you're doing?"

The guards answered by charging as one at the lone quincy.

"Assholes!" Bazz-B howled, "you fucking cowards know I have no powers, so you gang up on me? Is that how it is? Well, I have a surprise for you. I don't need my powers to kick your asses!"

He whirled, landing a solid kick that threw one guard into a second. He turned and thrust and elbow into the face of a third, the grunted as one of the remaining guards drove a fist into his stomach.

"Ugh..."

He felt another hard impact under his chin, then toppled onto his back. He kicked out, forcing back one man trying to gain a hold on him, then squirmed out of the grasp of another. A chair crashed down onto the ground next to him and he rolled away, barely avoiding another that broke apart as it struck inches from him. Something struck the back of his head and stars exploded in front of his eyes.

"B-bastards!" he spat, struggling as a sea of hands held him down and a furry of punches left him gasping for air.

A rough hand took hold of his mohawk, yanking his head back, and a low, angry voice spoke into his ear.

"You quincy bastards need to die."

"Fuck you!" Bazz-B snarled, reeling as heavy blows seemed to rain down from all directions at once, and the coppery taste of blood filled his mouth, "You'll pay for this!"

"Enough!" shouted a loud, commanding voice, making the attacking guards go still, one of them holding Bazz-B on his knees.

"Thanks," the quincy said gratefully, "I don't know what the hell is going on. A bunch of guys attacked me and these guards just..."

"Silence!" the watch commander said, striking him roughly across the face and dropping him onto his belly, "Officer Jun, what happened here?"

The guard who had been holding Bazz-B stepped forward, wiping a thin trickle of blood from his nose.

"This man was involved in an altercation with other prisoners and refused to obey our orders, sir, so we were forced to subdue him!"

"What the hell? I didn't refuse to do anything! I was lying down when these bastards started beating the daylights out of me!"

"Be quiet!" the commanding officer shouted, placing a booted foot between Bazz-B's shoulder blades and forcing him down hard on his belly, "Officer Bazz-B, you were warned that if you defied the guards, you would lose your privilege of being here and be transferred at once to the Central 46 prison!"

"That's horse shit!" Bazz-B objected, struggling under the foot that still held him down, "I obeyed your fucking orders! You can't do this!"

"Shut up, quincy scum!" the officer said, grabbing him by the hair and striking him harder, sending him crashing to the ground and seeing stars again. He followed with a punishing kick that send Bazz-B crashing into the wall. Bazz-B came down hard onto the floor, his vision dimming as he landed.

"Th-this is nuts!" he panted weakly as he began to lose consciousness, "You guys are f-fucking crazy..."

"I see you just can't shut up," the commanding officer said ominously, "Perhaps I need to use stronger methods, although doing so just might kill you."

"Stop," said a smooth, deep male voice.

Bazz-B caught a glimpse of the handsome noble who led the sixth division and sighed in relief as he passed out completely.

"No one is to lay hands on that officer," Byakuya said sternly, "I claim him as a protected noble of an enemy clan!"


	8. No Safe Path

**Chapter 8: No Safe Path**

**(Still in Cell Hell and enjoying a relaxing vacation! Crossing my fingers and hoping this will go through...)**

Renji felt a soft hand touching his face and began to return from the comforting greyness that had fallen around him. He remembered then, the moments from right before he had passed out.

_His clothes laid, torn apart and strewn haphazardly around the room. His bed and bedding had been slashed almost beyond recognition. Nothing within the room had been spared, but even the dresser and bed frame had been shattered. Thick red fluid spelled out a warning message on the wall._

_DIE QUINCY WHORE!_

"Oh...oh man," he groaned, starting to sit up, "I have to get to Bazz!"

The hand that had been touching his face pressed against his chest insistently, pushing him back down as Tetsuya's face came into full focus.

"Hey, what're you doing?" he complained dizzily, "Let me up!"

"I am sorry, but I can't do that," Tetsuya answered, "Byakuya has asked me to care for you until he returns."

"But...!"

"It's all right," Tetsuya assured him, placing a hand over Renji's baby bump and infusing the area gently with his reiatsu, "Byakuya went to retrieve Bazz-B from the Maggot's Nest."

"Wh-what?" Renji said, earning a disapproving look from Tetsuya as he sat up again and looked around, swaying slightly, "What the heck happened? How did I get to Kuchiki Manor? The last thing I remember is..."

Renji winced in reaction as he remembered more.

_He surged to his feet and staggered out of the bathroom, heading back towards the front office, only to find his way blocked by his captain._

_"Sir, what are you doing? I have to get to Bazz-B! What if...?"_

_"Renji, I will send someone to check on Officer Bazz-B. You are in no condition to..."_

_"But I have to go!" Renji argued, swaying as another bout of dizziness passed over him._

_"Renji, you can't possibly..."_

_"I have to, Captain!"_

_Renji started to turn, then felt a gentle throb of kido surge into his body, dropping him into Byakuya's arms. He stared, wide-eyed up into Byakuya's regretful gaze as he began to lose consciousness._

_"Captain!" he gasped._

"Byakuya said that he regrets having to incapacitate you, but given the danger to the quincies being held in the Maggot's Nest, he had to do so. He went to get them moved to protective custody."

"Protective custody, where?" Renji asked worriedly, "He knows that I have to have those infusions to keep things from going haywire."

"Yes," Tetsuya said reassuringly, "he is aware of that, so Bazz-B will be brought here to be with you."

"Oh, that's good," Renji said in a relieved tone, resting back against the pillows as an attendant entered the room, carrying two larges plates of food on a serving tray.

Tetsuya looked up at the attendant and smiled.

"Koji, thank you for bringing our meal."

"Yeah," Renji added, recovering his more friendly demeanor as the feeling of urgency faded, "I'm really starved."

"Me also," Tetsuya agreed, accepting one of the plates from Koji as Renji snatched up the other and began to eat enthusiastically, "Our bodies need the extra nutrients for the children we are carrying."

"I guess so," Renji chuckled, attacking the savory chicken on his plate, then slurping up a long noodle, "That, and we need to replace the food we keep throwing up, huh?"

"Exactly," Tetsuya agreed, good naturedly.

"Do you think the two of you will want dessert?" Koji inquired.

"Yes!" the two pregnant males answered together.

"There are fresh, warm ginger cookies, pumpkin ice cream, chocolate cake and pumpkin pie," Koji offered.

"Can I just have a little of everything?" Renji asked.

"Of course," Koji laughed, "And you, Master Tetsuya?

"I think I would like the ginger cookies and a large serving of the ice cream," Tetsuya answered, continuing to work at his meal.

"This is the best!" Renji sighed, "I've been eating like a horse, but nothing this good. I'm an okay cook and sometimes I just go out, but nothing beats the staff here."

Tetsuya nodded.

"Matsuko has been serving our family for over a hundred years," he explained, "She comes from a well known family from the upper Rukongai that excels in cookery."

"I've got to get her to teach me some of her recipes. I need to get better at cooking, so my kid doesn't starve, you know?"

"I am sure you will provide well for your child," Tetsuya said encouragingly, "You will be a wonderful father, Renji. Byakuya also thinks this."

"He said that?" Renji asked, blushing in reaction, "He thinks I'll be a good dad?"

"Of course," Tetsuya confirmed, "He says that growing up without family made you appreciate the people in your life. It made you a loyal and protective friend. And this won't just be a friend, this will be someone whose blood you share."

"That's something I never had before," Renji said, blinking back sudden tears, "at least, not that I remember. I don't know who my folks were or why I ended up a street kid. Bazz had it worse, I think. His family was murdered by Ywach when that bastard stormed through the countryside, killing the noble lords and families."

Tetsuya's face paled.

"He...attacked his own noble lords?" he repeated disbelievingly, "Why would he do that?"

"Bazz didn't know at first," Renji explained, "He only found out after the fact, after the quincy king was killed. Ywach was born without his senses. But, he was able to share pieces of his soul with people he touched. People wanted to touch them because when they did, the things they most needed or desired happened. Sick people got well, lonely people gained friends and poor people got rich. Thing is, they never lived long after receiving a piece of the king's soul. Ywach grew up that way, and when he was older, he realized that to keep himself from going back to that senseless, helpless thing he was, he had to keep taking people's souls when they died. That's why he targeted the noble lords and their families. The more powerful the souls taken in, the longer he would be satisfied."

"I had heard from Byakuya-sama about his power," Tetsuya explained, "but Central 46 has classified their discussions with the surviving quincy officers. I was not aware that he victimized his own people. But, given the way he targeted the hollows, and then us, it makes sense...and it means that our perceptions of the quincy race as a violent and war provoking race is perhaps faulty."

"Yeah," Renji agreed, "Bazz-B says it's probably easier for them to deal with things if they have an evil invader and not just soldiers manipulated by Ywach to destroy others, all for his benefit."

"But the truth is that the quincy race was just his first victim," Tetsuya concluded.

"I know he's considered _Father of the quincies_," Renji mused, "but he's no kind of father I want to know about. Not when he eats his own."

"It's sad, but I think that the Central 46 councilors just fear acknowledging the quincies as victims."

"And I get that," Renji said, shaking his head, "They were brutal and some of the ones Ywach gave powers to were pretty damned twisted."

"But they had abilities he wanted to collect, powers he needed to survive."

The two looked up as Koji burst back into the room, wearing a look of urgency.

"Master Tetsuya, Master Renji, Lord Byakuya has just returned to the manor, and he brought the quincy, Bazz-B with him!" the attendant exclaimed.

"Bazz-B's here?" Renji said, looking relieved.

He set his tray on the nightstand and started to climb out of bed.

"Move slowly," Tetsuya directed him, "You might still be a little groggy for a while from the sleep kido Byakuya used on you."

"I'm fine," Renji insisted, "but where's Bazz? Did they take him to the house jail or something?"

"N-no," Koji answered, giving Tetsuya a distressed look.

"Why don't you tell us what is happening?" Tetsuya prompted him, "You look like something is wrong."

Renji' face fell.

"Did something happen?" he asked stridently, "Koji, is Bazz-B all right?"

"Lord Byakuya arrived to find a mixture of guards and other prisoners were beating him."

"Oh, fuck!" Renji hissed, his eyes growing tormented, "But, he's still alive, right? Koji...!"

"He's alive," the attendant assured him, "but he is badly beat up. He is in one of the guest rooms and our family healer is with him. He could use some help from you, Master Tetsuya, if you are feeling all right."

"I am fine," Tetsuya said, climbing to his feet, "Renji, maybe you should wait here until he is fully stabilized."

"No way!" Renji exclaimed, following the two out the gardens doors and down the walkway, to the next wing.

Koji led them to the entrance to a large guest room, where Bazz-B laid, stripped down to his underwear and lying unconscious on his back. The aged clan healer sat beside the bed, leaning over the injured quincy and addressing a number of cuts and bruises on his face.

"Ah, hell, Bazz-B!" Renji exclaimed, starting forward, only to feel Byakuya's arm wrap around his waist, "C'mon, now, don't fucking knock me out again! I need to be with him! He's hurt bad, Captain!"

"I understand," Byakuya said sternly, "I am not going to make you sleep again...as long as you do not interfere."

"I won't, Captain, I swear! I just...I want to..."

"What? What can you do?" Byakuya asked pointedly, "Stress and attempts to use your powers would put a strain on your pregnant body, requiring stabilization sooner, at a time when he can't offer it to you."

"But Tetsuya's helping!" Renji complained, "You just want me to stand here and do nothing?"

"Tetsuya has a healthy partner who can stabilize him if he needs it. And although we can somewhat assist you if you need it, the best and fastest source of stabilizing reiatsu is the other parent of the child. The best way for you to help is to remain as calm as you can make yourself so that you stave off the need for infusion for as long as possible."

"Okay," Renji said shakily, "Sorry, Captain, I know I overreacted. I just...I can't help it. Bazz is my kid's father. I love him. I can't stand seeing him hurt."

He blinked in surprise as Byakuya's hand found his and squeezed it gently.

"I understand that fear," the noble said solemnly, "and I am sympathetic."

"I know you are. Thanks, Captain. Sorry I freaked out. He just...he's cut up and bruised all over. What the hell did those guys do to him?"

"It's not just Bazz-B," Byakuya went on, making Renji freeze instantly, "The other officer in the Maggot's Nest, Officer Liltotto, was also assaulted, as was Officer Giselle, who was assisting Captain Kurotsuchi. In all of the cases, a mixture of guards and prisoners or lower officers cooperated in the attacks. I was able to protect Bazz-B and Liltotto. I took Bazz-B under my protection, because he is a noble."

"You can do that?" Renji asked, looking surprised.

"Yes. Given that he was in our prison, he is supposed to be in a safe environment and not harmed as long as he is compliant. But given the vicious attack on him, I was able to take custody of him until Central 46 can investigate the crime and determine if and how his rights were violated."

"It sounds like those guys in the Maggot's Nest violated the hell out of his rights!" Renji snapped angrily, "Look at him!"

Byakuya gave the redhead a reproving look.

"Abarai, I did tell you that you must remain calm. Your agitation is not good for your child, given it necessitates..."

"Yeah, I know," Renji said penitently, "I'm sorry. I'll try to calm down. I just hate what those guys did, not just to Bazz, but to the others too. What happened to them? Will they be coming here too?"

"No," Byakuya said darkly, "Unfortunately, because I only have the right to take noble enemies into my custody, I cannot help them. But Head Captain Kyouraku did have me help him generate a list of trustworthy soldiers to protect them. Liltotto and Giselle are at the fourth division, in a restricted area. The imprisoned quincies in Muken, it seems, were not attacked. But rather than it being a sign of their safety, I think the guards there are just wary of those two."

"Who wouldn't be?" Renji said, shaking his head, "The quincies did have some real monsters on their side."

"Yes, well, now it falls to me to protect you and Bazz-B, but this means possibly also putting my fiancé, family and staff at risk."

Renji colored with guilt and his head bowed.

"I'm really sorry, Captain," he apologized again, "I would never want to put Tetsuya or anyone here in danger. I didn't mean to do that. I was just...I love Bazz. I can't help it. Is that wrong?"

Byakuya sighed.

"Loving someone, even one who was once an enemy, isn't wrong, but it divides people. It can cause rifts. It isn't fair to blame the ones whose hearts are just in love. They aren't the ones choosing violence as an answer."

"But the others wouldn't be getting violent if I hadn't..."

"I think they would," Byakuya corrected him quietly, "People are angry and hurting over their losses, Renji. It is dangerous and growing more so."

"Damn it, Captain! What're we supposed to do?" Renji asked, staring at Bazz-B's battered body and shivering involuntarily.

"I think there is no choice," Byakuya said, looking at Tetsuya, "We can't risk staying here. Not even my home is invulnerable."

"So, what are you saying? Are we going somewhere else?" Renji asked.

"Yes," Byakuya confirmed, "My family has a retreat in a quiet area of the upper Rukongai, an estate called _Sakura no Kaiou_. This is actually the home where I was born. It is secluded and more defensible, should there be trouble. I believe it is the right place to take you, Tetsuya and Officer Bazz-B, for all of your protection."

Renji gave Byakuya a troubled look.

"But Bazz is really beat up," he noted, "Is he going to be up to being moved?"

"I think he'll have to be," Byakuya said, his frown deepening, "And we are going to have to be very careful as we transport everyone. We are most vulnerable while we are in transit."

"Right. Well, I'm not..."

"You're _not_ getting involved," Byakuya said firmly, "I will knock you our again if I have to, Abarai. This is a dangerous move, and one that the quincies' enemies will, no doubt, expect. They will be out for blood. We are best off moving as quickly and carefully as we can."

"Okay, whatever you need me to do, I'll do it," Renji agreed, "Just don't let him get taken back by Central 46. You know we'll never see him alive again!"

"Most likely not," Byakuya agreed, "But it looks like Bazz-B is beginning to regain consciousness. Go to him, just remember to stay calm, Renji."

"Okay, I'll be calm," Renji promised, turning and hurrying to the injured quincy's side. Bazz-B groaned and squinted up at him as Renji sat down in a chair at his side and took one of the quincy's hands in his."

"Hey Red," Bazz said in a shaky voice, focusing his hazy eyes on Renji and managing a wavering smile, "You okay?"

Renji's eyes filled with tears.

"I'm not the one lying in a bed, all beat up," he complained, "What the hell happened to you?"

"Eh, I guess some folks don't like me very much. But I got in a few good licks. I didn't embarrass myself."

"I hope not," Renji said, leaning down to kiss him as Tetusya and the clan healer continued their work, "What would I tell our kid?"

"Right," Bazz-B said, freeing a hand from within the covers and reaching out to rub Renji's belly lovingly, "You all right? You're all stable?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Renji assured him, "I'm good, just a little freaked out."

"But no one tried to hurt you, did they?" Bazz asked, frowning, "like they did to Lil and me?"

"You know about Liltotto?" Renji asked, looking surprised.

"Yeah, I heard a little as I was brought over. I was kinda going in and out. Did they say Giselle was attacked too?"

"Uh huh."

"Damn..."

"It's okay," Renji assured him, "Captain Kuchiki is going to make sure that no one hurts any of us."

"Someone tried to hurt you?" Bazz-B said, trying to sit up and earning an instant protest from the two healers.

"Hey, lie down!" Renji snapped, "I'm fine! Do you see any injuries? No one hurt me."

"Well, _something_ happened," Bazz insisted, "I can tell."

"Nothing big happened," Renji said off-handedly, "Just some assholes messed up my quarters."

"They...?"

"They threw my stuff around and wrote on the wall with goat's blood, you know, stupid, sick stuff. But I wasn't hurt."

"What was on the wall?" Bazz persisted, his green eyes glowing with anger.

"Now, you don't need to know that. It's not worth repeating. Relax, okay? You're gonna bust something."

"Damned right, I'm gonna bust something! You tell me what was written in blood!"

"It was nothing, just some stupid comment about me being your...erm...prostitute."

"Man," Bazz-B fumed, "I oughta hunt them down and kill them!"

"Excuse me for interrupting," Tetsuya said, meeting the quincy's infuriated eyes, "but I think you shouldn't say things like that when you are a prisoner in the custody of my cousin, and he is protecting you."

"Hey sweetcheeks," Bazz-B said sarcastically, "why don't you just stick to healing me and leave the advice to Dear Abby?"

"Don't you be rude to Tetsuya!" Renji snapped, grabbing Bazz-B by the mohawk and glaring into his eyes, "He's been a good friend to both of us since the beginning. He was the one who gave me the pendant so that we could bond to stabilize my reiatsu with the baby's."

"Ow! All right, all right, fuck! I'm sorry, okay? I just don't like people beating up on my pregnant lover. Is that a crime?"

"No, but being rude to people who are your friends is," Renji said, letting his fingers slide out of Bazz-B's hair.

The quincy looked up at Renji and smiled aggressively.

"Red," he said, smirking, "you ever touch the mohawk like that again, it better be because we're making love and you're having a screaming orgasm."

The old clan healer bit his lip gently and looked away. Tetsuya blushed brightly.

"You ass," Renji chuckled, unable to hold onto his anger, "Stop being a jerk or they're going to just let you go back to get the shit beat out of you again."

"Aww," Bazz-said, yanking Renji closer and kissing him roughly, "I guess I'm gonna have to behave myself."

"Right," Renji said with mock sarcasm, "Like you even know how to do that!"


End file.
